The Czech national team made it to the top eight European teams for the first time since 2011. In the fight for advancement to the semi-finals, the team was led by captain Michaela Mlejnková, who collected 19 points, just like at the end of the round of 16 with Ukraine. In the first set, the Czechs harmed the Serbians with their service and did not let them get away with a significant point difference. They were losing 18:20 before the end, but when they defended Serbian star Tijana Boškovičová twice and Mlejnková “passed”, they equalized at 21:21.
The Serbian women did not get to the set point at all. The Czech team took the lead 24:23 after Mlejnková’s ace. Although Boškovičová turned away the set point with an attack, she only sent the serve into the net and gave the Czechs another chance. The wards of Jannis Athanasopoulos did not miss this. Ela Koulisiani served well and Silvie Pavlova punished the Serbian’s inaccurate reception over the net. “It was an incredible feeling and I hope the audience enjoyed it as well,” confided Pavlová in a recording for the media, who joined the starting line-up after Magdalena Jehlářová’s forced departure to the USA.
In the first set, the Czechs were rewarded for following their tactics. “We thought that we would go into it boldly and that we would try to push them out of their comfort zone a little bit. We succeeded in that in the end. I think that the set with the Serbs definitely counts,” said record player Kateřina Valková for Czech Television.
From the second set, the Serbian volleyball players improved their reception and began to often attack in the middle. Behind the all-rounder Bošković, who collected 33 points, their second most productive player was blocker Maja Aleksičová. “Their blockers are stronger and more physical than ours. It was difficult for us to counter that kind of play. They also started serving much more aggressively and it was difficult for us to score,” said coach Athanasopulos.
Other attackers did not join Mlejnková against the high Serbian defense. All-rounder Gabriela Orvošová converted only six of 34 passes into points, Helena Havelková had five points. The Czech Republic won a small chance to further dramatize the match in the fourth set, when it got closer to 10:11. But then the Serbs assembled impenetrable blocks three times in a row, bounced back and dominated.
Despite the elimination, coach Athanasopulos praised his team. “After the match with Azerbaijan, no one believed that we could make it to the quarterfinals. For me, it’s definitely a success,” he recalled the unexpected debacle at the start of the tournament. Valková also appreciated the journey through the championship. “This team showed great inner strength. If we stick together and hit every ball, we can still show great results,” she said.
The Serbian women will face the Netherlands in the semi-finals. Another duel with the winners of the last two World Cups awaits the Czech volleyball players on September 20, when these teams will meet each other during the Olympic qualification in China.
Holders of silver and two bronze medals from the last three European Championships, the Turks defeated Poland 25:23, 25:22 and 25:18.
In the seven matches of the tournament, they have lost only two sets so far, including one in the group with the Czech national team. The co-organizers of the Italian women’s championship are even more determined to defend their title, they haven’t lost a set yet.
2023-08-30 19:29:42
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