The Spanish volleyball team lived up to expectations, defeating Montenegro in our team’s debut at the CEV Golden League with a score of 3:0 (25:20, 25:16, 25:17).

In the opening match under their new coach, Jovo Caković, the team managed to hold their own against Spain initially, turning a 0:2 deficit into a 5:2 lead. After that, Spain dominated the court.

Spain quickly settled into their rhythm against a Montenegro team that was missing key players, notably Danijela Džaković and Simona Petranović. Caković made several substitutions throughout the match in search of the right combination, but Spain proved too strong.

“This is a different level of volleyball; Spain outperformed us in most areas, and they rightfully claimed the victory. We could have played indefinitely, but with our current lineup, a win wasn’t achievable. I had hoped for a few more points, maybe even a set, and expected us to show greater resilience. Unfortunately, that’s our current state. If we pay attention, we will learn from this. I don’t view this as a defeat but rather as a lesson. When we applied to the Golden League, we knew we weren’t aiming for a high placement, but instead, we wanted to learn from the best,” Caković stated after the game.

The standout player for Montenegro was Nikoleta Perović, who scored 11 points. Mina Dragović and Saška Đurović contributed five points each. For Spain, Maria Segura led the scoring with 13 points.

On the second day of the tournament, Spain is set to face Ukraine, which will be Montenegro’s opponent on Sunday, June 1, at 18:00.

“It’s premature to discuss Ukraine; our immediate focus is to improve our performance in various aspects. We won’t back down, and in a few months, you’ll see our growth. This experience won’t deter us,” Caković emphasized.

SPAIN – MONTENEGRO 3:0 (25:20, 25:16, 25:17)

Podgorica – SC “Verde”. Audience: 700. Referees: Batkai-Katona (Hungary), Stoika (Romania).

Spain: Priante 2, Mavromatis, Ernandes, Pisa (lib), Aranda, De Paula 4, Varela 12, Ljabres (lib), Šlegel 5, Eskamilja 3, Himenes 8, Lazaro, Fernandes 11, Segura 13. Coach: Paskual Saurin.

Montenegro: Đurović 5, Perović 11, Šušić, Čavić 1, Madžgalj, Veličković (libero), Božović, Vukčević 3, Popović 2, Budrak, Đukić, Krunić (libero), Dragović 5, Kovačec. Coach: Jovo Caković.

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