Serbia continued their impressive run at European Championships and for the eighth consecutive time qualified among the top four teams on the continent. The team led by Zoran Terzic decisively defeated Greece 3:0 (25:14, 25:20, 25:17) in the quarter-final in Brno.
The match lasted only 72 minutes and was the last for the Serbian women in the Czech Republic. On Thursday, they will depart on a charter flight to Istanbul, where the final phase of EuroVolley 2026 will take place over the weekend.
Serbia started exceptionally strong. A drop shot from Maja Ognjenovic brought the first point, and a little later, the Serbian women were already leading 10:4. Greece managed to reduce the deficit to 14:11, but a series of seven consecutive points on Mina Popovic's serve and excellent blocking by Hena Kurtagic practically decided the first set – 25:14.
The difference in attack was huge – 54% success rate for Serbia against only 25% for Greece.
The beginning of the second set was marked by a serious incident. Greek receiver Georgia-Loula Angelopoulou sustained a knee injury during a play and remained on the court in severe pain. After receiving medical attention, she was carried off on a stretcher.
The prolonged interruption affected the Serbian women, and Greece twice took the lead – 5:4 and 7:6. At 12:12, however, Serbia again picked up the pace. Strong serving and stable blocking allowed Zoran Terzic's team to go on a run and take a 19:13 lead.
In the second set, both teams had equal efficiency in attack – 45% each, but the difference came from blocking and serving. Serbia won the blocks 4:0 and aces 3:1 and closed the set at 25:20.
The third set was entirely under the control of the Serbian women. They took a 5:2 lead and maintained a comfortable advantage until the end, concluding the match with 25:17.
Mina Popovic caused concern in the Serbian camp, as she requested a substitution at the beginning of the third set due to leg pain. Ljubica Milojevic came in to replace her. Initial reports, however, are rather reassuring – a few minutes later, Popovic had already gotten up from her chair and told the team doctor that she felt significantly better.
Tijana Boskovic finished as the top scorer for the winners with 17 points. Aleksandra Uzelac added 15, and Branka Tica – 12. For Greece, Andoulou and Tikmanidou recorded 9 points each.
With this success, Serbia continued its remarkable streak on the European stage. Since 2011, the Serbian women have consistently reached the semi-finals of the European Championships – eight consecutive appearances in the Top 4.
The next stop is Istanbul. In the semi-final on Saturday, Serbia will face the winner of the quarter-final between hosts Turkey and Germany.

photo:cev.eu