Saška Đurović: The Block Queen, with Nikoleta Perović and Danijela Džaković Shining Brightly Too!
Saška Đurović, Photo: Odbojka.me
While the spotlight was on our pioneers who showcased exceptional skill at the qualifying tournament in Bulgaria, our international players delivered remarkable performances across Europe.
Saška Đurović stood out particularly, leading Sporting to two consecutive victories with an outstanding individual display as a middle blocker. The team from Portugal’s capital first triumphed over Colegio in the Cup with a score of 3:1, and Đurović contributed significantly with 15 points, eight of which were from blocks, according to Odbojka.me.
The following day witnessed an even better performance from our national team player, as she netted 18 points in Sporting’s win against Avense, also in four sets. The ex-Red Star player recorded five aces and eight points from attacks, maintaining a 50% conversion rate.
This victory marked Sporting’s 13th win in 16 rounds of the Portuguese First Division, keeping them neck and neck with local rivals Benfica. They are set to face Porto in the Cup quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, experienced goaltender Nikoleta Perović also achieved a double-digit score last week, adding 14 points to her team Ted Kolejliler’s 3-1 victory over Gaziantep, a direct competitor in the Turkish First League playoff race. After 16 rounds, the Ankara team sits in fourth place with a 10-5 record, holding one match more than both fifth-placed Gaziantep and third-placed Ilbank.
Our Danijela Džaković trailed her long-time national team companion with 13 points in Mili Aviasije’s 3:0 victory over Azeraila.
Nevena Vukčević and her GEN-I Volley faced setbacks in the initial round of the Slovenian championship. They were defeated 3:0 by OTP Banka, during which Vukčević secured nine points, followed by a weekend loss to Calcit, where she participated in the final stages and scored five points.
Another Montenegrin middle blocker celebrated success last weekend. Katarina Budrak registered seven points in Bordeaux’s 3-0 away win against Terville-Florence in the 17th round of the French championship, which resumed after a two-month hiatus. This marked Bordeaux’s seventh victory, having previously defeated Le Cannet in the round of the Coupe de France.
The Serbian Super League has also resumed action, featuring three representatives this year. Staša Mitrović made a successful debut for Jedinstvo, who defeated Spartak 3:0 in Stara Pazova. The former Budva player secured five points in her inaugural match with coach Jovo Caković’s team.
In the 13th round of the Serbian Super League, other national team players experienced losses. Darja Popović took the court only in the second set during Omaldinca’s away match against Ub, where the home team won 3:0, earning Popović a single point.
Lara Jovović did not see playtime in the match between Srem and Železničar, which ended in a 3:1 victory for the visitors.
Sen Benedek is enduring a challenging season, remaining without a win in the Hungarian championship. In the latest 13th round of the Extraliga, Marija Šušić’s team lost to Vašaš 3:0, with the coach managing to secure two points.
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