The Serbian women's national volleyball team finished the group stage of the World Championship in second place, after suffering a 1:3 (23:25, 28:30, 25:23, 18:25) defeat to Japan. This means that in the first elimination round, the Serbians will face the team from the Netherlands.
Without Tijana Bošković – a difficult mission
As in the Nations League, the absence of the best Serbian player Tijana Bošković proved to be a huge problem. The team showed good moments, but also serious fluctuations – followed by long runs for the opponent. This instability proved crucial for the final result.
| Serbia | Points |
|---|---|
| Aleksandra Uzelac | 20 |
| Maja Aleksić | 11 (6 attacks, 4 blocks, 1 ace) |
| Vanja Bukilić | 10 |
| Vanja Ivanović | 9 |
| Hena Kurtagić | 9 |
For the Japanese team, Ishikawa was the top scorer with 19 points, and Wada added 15.
Uzelac showed leadership qualities in attack but lacked sufficient support at key moments. The large number of errors – a total of 34 – proved to be the decisive factor for the defeat.
In the decisive rallies, concentration was lacking. Serbia made too many inaccuracies and missed opportunities to turn the tide of the match. The Japanese punished every lapse, showing consistency and discipline.
The situation in the group was clear – both teams had already secured their qualification. The question was from which position they would advance. Japan will play against Thailand, while Serbia faces the Netherlands. With a potential success, both could meet again as early as the quarterfinals.
