Nevena Celebrates Simona’s CG Derby Win in the MEVZA League; Montenegrin Women Shine Across Europe
Saška Đurović, Photo: OSCG
Last week in the world of Montenegrin volleyball players competing internationally was highlighted by a regional derby featuring our national team. Coach Jovo Caković must be pleased with the impressive performance of our players, who played a crucial role in their teams’ successful results over the weekend.
The match that drew the attention of both our local and regional audiences was between the Slovenian Gen-I volleyball team and the Zagreb Mladost team during the 3rd MEVZA League tournament. The Zagreb team staged a comeback to win 3:2 in Nova Gorica, qualifying for the playoffs that Montenegrin clubs will also participate in next season, and leaving the Slovenian team in fifth place. Nevena Vukčević stood out as one of the most effective players in the match, scoring 21 points, just two points shy of her teammate Polona Frelih. Žana Godec contributed 19 points, but it was not enough to overcome the Zagreb team. Simona Petranović played in the second, fourth, and fifth sets for the Croatian champions, but the match ended without any points for her.
Vukčević continued her impressive performance in the Slovenian championship, where another solid game wasn’t sufficient for Gen-I Volley to secure a victory. The Nova Gorica team lost to Luka Koper 3:1, with Vukčević scoring 14 points.
In the Croatian Super League, Mladost achieved its 10th victory by defeating Nebo 3:0, while Simona Petranović rested during this match. Mladost is currently in second place, just behind city rivals Dinamo, who have maintained a perfect record of 11 wins.
In another standout performance, our middle blocker, Saška Đurović, played a pivotal role for Sporting, contributing to their 3:0 victory against Braga in the 18th round of the 1st Division. The Montenegrin national team player added 15 points to her team’s success, showcasing an impressive 67% success rate in attack.
Danijela Džaković also made her mark with 15 points, leading Mili Avijasija to a significant victory over the Azerbaijani championship leaders, Absheron. Danijela’s team triumphed in four sets.
Montenegrin goalie Nikoleta Perović and her team, Ted Kolejliler, delivered a mixed performance in the Turkish First League. After a 3:1 home defeat to Ibanka, the Ankara team managed a 3:0 away victory against ALS. In the team’s 11th victory, crucial for their promotion ambitions to the Efeler League, Perović contributed nine points; however, her score in the match against Ibanka remains unreported.
Our middle blocker, Katarina Budrak, and her club Bordeaux are currently in excellent form. They have won all their matches in 2025, including a five-match winning streak that encompasses the French Cup. The latest victory came in the 19th round of the championship against Cannes with a score of 3:0, where the Montenegrin national team player secured 11 points and a 54% success rate in attacks. Bordeaux is advancing steadily towards the playoffs.
Lugoš’s six-game winning streak came to an end as they faced a tough defeat against Constanta, losing 20:1 in the 3rd round of the Romanian A1 division. Our Mina Dragović scored 10 points for Lugoš, positioning her team fifth in the standings with a total of 13 wins.
Under the guidance of Montenegrin senior women’s coach Jovo Caković, Jedinstvo achieved success in the 15th round of the Serbian Super League, with a 3:1 victory against Crvena Zvezda in Stara Pazova. Our young middle blocker Staša Mitrović participated in three sets, contributing three points. Lara Jovović and Darja Popović did not participate in their teams’ losses. Srem lost to Ub, and Omladinac faced defeat against Jedinstvo from Užice, both matches concluding in four sets.
In the 14th round of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Premier League, Banja Luka’s Teodora Rakočević suffered a 3:0 loss to the Gacka team, without any playing time allocated for the Montenegrin middle blocker.
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