The latter part of the EPCG Women’s Volleyball Super League witnessed an unprecedented event since Herceg Novi’s ascension to the top league. The reigning champions faced their first loss in two and a half seasons during a thrilling match at the Medical School gymnasium in Podgorica, where Budućnost triumphed over the table leaders with a score of 3:2 (14:25, 22:25, 26:24, 25:21, 15:12).

Initially, it appeared that the Podgorica squad would only pose a challenge to the strong favorites in the second and third sets. However, Luka Bogojević’s team delivered a standout performance in the 10th round of the EPCG Super League. With a sensational display from the exceptionally gifted setter, Nađa Peković, alongside Božović, Belojević, and Magdelinić—who were all highly motivated—the blue and white squad managed to stay competitive after the third set, which was closely contested. After scoring five consecutive points, they pulled ahead to 20:15, which they nearly maintained until the end. Yet, they fended off their opponents from gaining match points, clinching the set at 26:24.

This comeback invigorated the Podgorica team, leading to even better performance. Budućnost surged ahead 10:3 in the fourth set and equaled the score at 25:12, ultimately shining in the deciding set and achieving a significant victory with a 15:12 tie-break.

This marked Budućnost’s eighth win of the season, driven by Kristina Božović with 18 points, Sara Belojević with 13 points, and team captain Mileva Magdelinić contributing 12. Milena Cetković added nine points, while libero Ksenija Krunić excelled in both defense and serve. The standout performer of the match was Herceg Novi’s newcomer, Žeraldin Stefani Gonzalez, who led all scorers with 19 points, surpassing Ralitsa Vasileva and Ana Marija Galic by five points.

Meanwhile, Srđan Crnojački’s team faced their first season defeat in Montenegrin football, marking Herceg Novi’s first loss since joining the EPCG Super League, where they had gone unbeaten in sets until late November, following an 8th-round victory over Luka Bar (3:1).

Luka Bar took advantage of the unexpected result in Podgorica, winning against Galeb with a decisive 3:0 (25:11, 25:15, 25:16) in their city derby. Vladimir Milačić’s squad confirmed their favorite status in this encounter, highlighted by the return of Serbian national team volleyball star, Silvija Popović. Teodora Čavić was particularly impressive, topping the match scoring charts for Luka Bar with 17 points, supported by national team member Dijana Vuković, who scored seven points. For Galeb, Sara Striković and Maša Dragojević each contributed six points. Luka Bar is now tied with Herceg Novi at the top of the wins leaderboard (9:1), while Galeb remains in search of their first win.

In Kotor, fans were treated to an exhilarating game as Albatros secured a 3-2 victory over Gimnazijalec (17:25, 26:28, 25:15, 25:17, 15:11), completing a remarkable comeback. Albatros faced off against their rivals, who were favored to win, and after trailing 2-0, they staged a dramatic turnaround to separate themselves from Budva by two wins in the playoff zone.

Albatros started strong, dominating the first set and making a remarkable comeback to lead 2-0 in the second set. Despite holding a close equalizer at 24:23, the home team clinched the set, bolstering their confidence.

However, Branka Obradović’s squad improved as the match progressed. With a run of seven consecutive points in the third set, they surged ahead 15:9 and built on that lead to secure the set. Mimicking this momentum, Novalja tied the match by scoring five consecutive points in the fourth set and eventually triumphed in the tie-break.

The high school team began the fifth set strongly with a 5:0 lead, which the visiting side quickly negated, taking their first lead at 9:8. Thereafter, Milan Franović’s team could only muster two more points, ending with just one point gained in a thrilling confrontation.

Matea Kovačec was the standout for the home team, scoring 31 points. Tajane De Souza Felix also had a commendable performance, but the collective effort of five Albatros players scoring in double figures was insufficient. Amina Musić led the guest team with 22 points, followed by Viktorija Položevec with 17, Karolina Pidhurska with 16, Marija Tuševljak with 12, and captain Taša Trajković with 11 points.

Academy accomplished a significant feat by defeating debutant Budva 3:0 on their home turf (25:21, 25:20, 25:22). An engaging match at SC “Župa” could have featured more sets, but Milan Marković’s team showcased a solid finish in the third set, concluding the match with three back-to-back points, thus achieving their third victory of the season and distancing themselves from Jedinstvo in the playoff zone. Maša Milošević was the standout player for Academy with 17 points, while Teodora Stanković, Lina Milivojević, and Una Mitrović each contributed with seven points. For Budva, which played without the key player Staša Mitrović, now at Jedinstvo, Vanja Matunović was the top scorer with 16 points.

Morača also celebrated their third away victory with a dominant 3:0 win over Jedinstvo in Bijelo Polje (25:18, 25:21, 25:22). Coach Radusinović’s team hinted at their potential for securing vital points from the start, winning the first set by seven points, leading by nine in the second, and finishing the third set with a 3:0 series, thus breaking their streak of five consecutive defeats. The Anastasija trio were key for the Podgorica team, with Bogojević scoring 10 points and both Koprivica and Krgović contributing nine points each, while Tijana Merdović stood out for Mladen Miladinović’s team with 13 points.

Currently, Jedinstvo holds a record of 2-8 and is in the playoff zone, while Morača, along with Akademija, is just a win behind Gimnazijalac.

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