The Russian women's national team will be without two of the initially included players for the upcoming friendly matches against Serbia. Outside hitter Arina Fedorovtseva and middle blocker Elizaveta Fitisova will not participate in the two matches, which will be played on August 5 and 7 in the Serbian city of Ub, about 50 kilometers from Belgrade.
The two volleyball players were initially among the 16 selected for the national team's training camp in Novogorsk, but dropped out due to health problems. Fitisova announced on her Telegram channel that she is still recovering from a shoulder injury after the end of the club season.
"I notice a pattern – every time I get called up to the national team, some health problem appears. I am still recovering from my shoulder after the season, so I will not travel to Serbia. I hope this is the last time this happens and that I will soon have the opportunity to play in international tournaments for the national team again," Fitisova wrote.
According to information from "BO Sport", Arina Fedorovtseva's absence is also related to medical issues, without specifying the exact diagnosis.
After the withdrawal of the two players, Russia's preparation continues with 14 volleyball players. By agreement between the two federations, the first control match on August 5 will be held behind closed doors, and the second – on August 7 – will be open to spectators. Both matches start at 8:00 PM Moscow time.
These will be the first tests for the Russian women's national team after FIVB's decision for Russia's return to international volleyball and an important part of the preparation for the expected resumption of the "Sbornaya's" official participation in international tournaments.

photo: Nikolay Varadinov