Following the announcement of the women's national team squad for the World Championship, many fans were quick to ask why the team captain and leader, Elitsa Vasileva, was missing from the list. The topic sparked a wave of comments and emotions on social media. In response to this interest, the team's head coach, Antonina Zetova, gave a detailed explanation to the BFV website regarding the reasons, related to family circumstances and the difficulties of combining professional sports and motherhood.

Zetova emphasized that in volleyball there are no irreplaceable people, but Vasileva is one of those athletes who leave a lasting mark and legacy in the game. "Elitsa is an undisputed leader, one of the best outside hitters in the world," Zetova stated, adding that her absence is crucial for the team.

The reason for her absence is related to motherhood. Elitsa's child, the fruit of her relationship with Serbian national player and star Aleksandar Atanasijevic, is still very young and strongly attached to her mother. This summer, Vasileva made an "enormous sacrifice" by leaving her child in Serbia with the father to participate in two tournaments with the national team, including the one in Hong Kong. "Organizationally, it was almost impossible to combine travel and childcare," Zetova explained.

The coach also recalled a personal moment from 2010, when she herself returned to the national team with a year-and-a-half-old child. At that time, during a month-long camp in Gabrovo, she was with her toddler, and her teammate Diana Nenova also had a baby of the same age. "It's not easy if you don't have someone by your side to help you," Zetova emphasized, drawing a parallel with Vasileva's current situation.

"Both Hristina, Elitsa, and I are constantly trying to combine elite sports and motherhood. Sometimes the choice is difficult and painful, but inevitable," Zetova explained. She added that many fans do not fully understand the situation, but the reality is that for athlete-mothers, it is extremely complex to combine both roles \u2013 professional volleyball and caring for a young child.