Short characterization

SERBIA

 

STARTING PLAYERS / SUBSTITUTES

RANKING 2000 - 2008

OG   2000

1

WL   2001

4

WCh 2002

4

WC   2003

3

OG   2004

5

WL   2005

2

WCh 2006

4

WC   2007

-

OG   2008

8

 

After the decisive victory with 3:1 against GER in the preliminary round, the team had to play against USA in the quarter finals, and had to leave after the 2:3 defeat against the Olympic champion USA and thus finally came in on position 8.

 

Team in general

·         Team stuffed with younger players, with only 3 players of the OG 2004 (average age 26.0); 3 players under 23 years – nevertheless, experienced enough (team average of 113 matches).

·         Players behaved cleverly and with experience – with setter No 9 Grbic and No 14 Miljkovic, they have two outstanding leading players! (computer assisted game control).

 

Serve

·         Combination of jump serve and floater with little direct effect (average by set 0.7) – No 14 Miljkovic one of the best jump server (rank 4 – 0.29 avg by set). 

·         Mixture of current techniques with excellent tactical adaptation (preparation of block/ defensive situations). Little direct effect (average by set 0.6).

 

Reception

·         With players No 8 Samardzic (libero) and No 10 Nikic, reception all in all stable (65 % success); situation-related use of overhand reception.

·         3-player formation against jumpserve (or: 2-player formation against floater). 

 

Set / Attack Complex 1 and Complex 2

·         The experienced setter No 9 Grbic sets balls in very precise and technically skilled ways. Yet, the distribution of balls with little first tempo (about 15 %) and even rather seldom backcourt attack pos. 6 (Pipe), and also the clear distribution of functions are easy to figure out.

·         Attack in complex I: They prefer playing with varying speed via outside positions and with slightly higher number of passes via No 14 Miljkovic (backcourt pos. 1). First-tempo attacks (usually after perfect reception)!

·         Attack in complex II: Strong emphasis on high outside attacks from diagonal sets and from backcourt pos. 1 - between 40-50 % go via Miljkovic (top scorer list: rank 3)! Almost no first tempo in counter-attack.

 

Block / Defence

·         Deficit in block compared to the TOP 4 (2.17 compared to 3.0-3.2 avg by set).

·         Successfull in group blocks (also in 3-player block) on outside positions – No 12 Geric also in the middle of the net! No 18 Podrascanin (list of Best Blockers: position 10) strong on outside positions!

·         In defence, strict speciliazation on positions (MB and libero pos. 5; reception-outside attackers pos. 6); with No 8 Samardzic (libero) and No 10 Nikic, they have two very good defenders (in ranking list of Best Digger: position 6 and 8).