Bar Derby Loses Its Former Excitement
Over the next three days, starting Friday, January 31st, five matches of the 10th round of the EPCG Women’s Volleyball Super League will take place, marking the beginning of the league’s second half with several exciting matchups.
The round kicks off at SC “Topolica,” where Luka Bar will face Galeb in the local derby. Unlike previous seasons, this year’s meeting lacks the same thrilling edge. Luka Bar, bolstered by the return of trophy-winning Serbian national team libero Silvija Popović, is considered a strong contender against Petar Koković’s youth-focused team. This match will commence on January 31 at 16:00.
Saturday’s action for the 10th round starts with another significant match along the coast. The Budva team, the season’s pleasant surprise of 2024, will visit the Academy in Tivat. Scheduled for February 1 at 15:00, the hosts aim for their first mini-series of victories this season, while Budva looks to end a two-match losing streak against this opponent, having previously won 3:1 at home back in October.
The remainder of Saturday’s matches includes the round’s marquee contest at the Medical School hall in Podgorica, where Buducnost will take on Herceg Novi at 17:00. Herceg Novi has been the dominant force in the Montenegrin league this season, only losing their first set in nearly two and a half seasons during their last match against Luka Bar. With new international signings, Srđan Crnojački’s squad is a firm favorite for a third consecutive championship, posing a tough challenge for the young Buducnost team.
The 10th round will conclude with the Boka derby and a battle for playoff positioning. In Kotor, Gimnazijalac will welcome Albatros at 19:30. Similar to Budva, “Gimnazijalac” performed well in their first season in the EPCG Super League, but recently faced a very competitive team led by Branka Obradović, who have serious ambitions to secure a top-four finish. Albatros claimed an easy win in their first encounter, but an engaging contest is anticipated in the Kotor Gymnasium.
After nine rounds, Herceg Novi tops the table with a perfect record, while Luka Bar has only one defeat to the champions. Buducnost is currently at 7-2, with Albatros holding six playoff victories. Budva trails Herceg Novi with one fewer win, and Gimnazijalac sits with a negative record of four victories. In the danger zone, Morača, Jedinstvo, and Akademija each have two wins, whereas Galeb sits at the bottom with zero wins this season.
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