August 18, 2021 - On Thursday, August 19, the Croatia volleyball team will play the first game of the European Women's Volleyball Championship against Switzerland in Zadar.

The Croatian Volleyball Federation points out that they are ready, and their goal is to advance to the second phase of the competition, reports Gol.hr.

"We are healthy and ready for Thursday; there are still nuances left. We have had excellent preparations. We need to think gradually from game to game. I hope that we will win second place here, which is our goal, and get to the second phase of the competition in that position. I think that in Serbia we have a real chance to stay as long as possible. The first goal is to pass the group and then secure a trip to the World Cup, where we haven’t been for ten years. The girls are motivated and eagerly await the start of the championship," said Croatian Volleyball Federation expert secretary Frane Žanić.

Croatia opens the championship on August 19 with a match against Switzerland, followed by Belarus on August 21, Slovakia on August 22, Hungary on August 24, and Italy on August 25.

Croatia is looking forward to the start of the championship.

"We are only two days away from the start of the European Championship. We are all very excited. We have been preparing for this competition for the last two months, so we can't wait for it to start. We will play the first game against Switzerland. This is a great competition at a high level; I believe that all teams are strong and dangerous. We will give 100 percent in every game. I hereby invite everyone to follow us on TV," said national team member Nikolina Božičević.

"We have been preparing together for almost three months; a very long cycle is behind us. We have played the European League, many friendly matches, and now we have the European Championships waiting for us for the first time. So we are very excited and well prepared," added Lucija Mlinar.

The championship organizers point out that everything is ready for the big sports event in Zadar, which will last until August 26.

"We are in the final details phase, and I can say that we are completely ready. The final inspection of the members of the European Federation delegation is underway. The hall is ready. We only miss our guests, a total of six teams. Together with professional staff and the entire ensemble sent by the European Federation in Zadar, there are 500 people. Thousands of people can stay in the hall at the same time. There are certain contingents of places that must be provided to visiting teams and their family members. The organization is the second part, and one part we must provide for our VIP guests. All those who are interested can contact us; if there is another vacancy, we will be happy to provide it free of charge because there are no regular ticket sales," said Valentina Bifflin, director of the Croatian Volleyball Federation.

Zadar is the host of Group C at the European Women's Volleyball Championship, while Belgrade, Plovdiv, and Cluj-Napoca are the other host cities.

Zadar expects a lot of promotion from EuroVolley and influences young people to start playing volleyball in as many numbers as possible.

"I am glad that we are hosting volleyball. It means a lot to the City of Zadar and the development of sports tourism that we are building. We wish our volleyball players all the best, and we believe they will achieve a good result," said Zadar Mayor Branko Dukić.

The President of the Zadar Sports Association, Snježana Jurinić, also hopes to popularize volleyball.

"I believe that all previous competitions, as well as this European Championship, will popularize volleyball and expand to the entire County and that the City of Zadar will become the leading regional volleyball center. We can already see that women's volleyball has become a sport and enrolls children in volleyball."

The Višnjik Sports Center, where the Eurovolley matches will be played, has shone with new splendor and is fully ready for another big competition. The hall has been decorated and refreshed, along with the auxiliary ones that the national teams will use.

"It is an honor and pleasure to host such a big event. The Croatian Volleyball Federation embraced ŠC Višnjik as its base for preparations and competitions. It shows that all investments in sports infrastructure within ŠC Višnjik are a complete success. The hall looks fantastic and is one of the most beautiful," pointed out the director of ŠC Višnjik Denis Karlovic.

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