Simona Petranović and Nevena Vukčević are seen as the shining prospects for the Montenegrin national team as they aim for their inaugural and historic spot in the European Championship. Both were born in 2003 in Bar, grew up playing volleyball for the same club, Galeb, and began their international careers in the summer of 2021, having spent seven seasons together in youth categories and the national team.

Recently, as is common in the unpredictable world of sports, these two friends found themselves facing each other on opposite sides of the net.

During the 5th round of the regional MEVZA league in Nova Gorica, Nevena played for GEN-I Volej from Slovenia, while Simona represented Zagreb Mladost from Croatia.

– It was a strange experience; we looked at each other and laughed, even amidst the match – Simona shared with Odbojka.me.

– I knew she was going to serve me, but I got myself ready – Nevena replied, smiling.

Simona’s Mladost triumphed in a tense final set – 15:12, after Nevena and her team missed a match point in the fourth. The thrilling match ended in favor of the higher-placed team, while Mladost prepares for the play-offs, leaving GEN-I Volej without a chance to advance.

– I didn’t get much court time because of my shoulder pain; I was just in to serve – Simona Petranović explained.

To serve – against Nevena.

“We’re so in tune with each other that I anticipated where each of her serves would go,” Simona added.

This wasn’t the first occasion they encountered each other on the court.

– We’ve faced off once before when she played for Ub and I played for Partizan – Nevena recounted.

Both players have followed a similar pathway after leaving Galeb, Bar, and Montenegro in the summer of 2021. They both made their mark in Serbia, with Simona moving from Ub to Haifa, Israel, while Nevena transferred to Lugož, Romania.

After having less-than-pleasant volleyball experiences in Israel and Romania, they are now thriving in Slovenia, just a three-hour drive apart.

– I felt really down in Romania; it was tough because I mostly played alone, and I didn’t enjoy the experience at all. In Slovenia, things are different; the training is excellent, the coach really knows his stuff, and honestly, I’d stay just because of him, Nevena expressed.

Simona’s experience in Israel was harsher. She had to leave due to the state of war…

– I was so excited when I first arrived, and I didn’t sense that there was any danger. Then, one day after practice, an alarm blared on my phone and all my teammates’ phones – an alert telling us to run to the bunkers. I had to leave Israel; my family insisted I come home.

Unlike Simona, Nevena faced a slight language barrier upon arriving in Slovenia.

– I have two Slovene roommates, and I couldn’t understand them at first. After two months, I finally said, ‘Now you can’t gossip about me anymore!’ – Nevena mentioned.

This summer, both will reunite in the national team, gearing up for two crucial matches – away against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and at home against Latvia. Their historic goal is within reach – the first-ever qualification for the women’s national team for the European Championship.

– I have a feeling that usually proves correct – it’s now or never – Nevena stated.

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