Ferhat Akbas Announces First Selection for Croatia

Croatian women’s team coach Ferhat Akbas has made his first selection of 30 players to start training, from which players will be chosen to represent the nation in their 2023 VNL and the 2023 CEV Volleyball European Championship. According to Volleyball World, the team will start training on May 7.

Volleyball World further reports that Croatian federation President Frane Zanic said that their target for this season is to survive in the Volleyball Nations League and to at least reach the quarter-finals in the European Championship.

The team will make their first appearence in the Volleyball Nations League 2023. They are one of the five challenger teams in the competitions alongside Bulgaria, Canada, Dominican Republic and Poland. If they are the last-placed challenger team in the competition, they will have to face relegation and play in the Challenger Cup to qualify for the competition again.

Croatia women’s national team full roster:

Setters: Ana Prkacin, Jurja Vlasic, Karla Antunovic, Lara Stimac, Lea Deak, Marija Vrban

Opposites: Andrea Mihaljevic, Barbara Dapic, Mara Stiglic, Marijeta Runjic, Nina Strize, Samanta Fabris

Outside hitters: Ana Burilovic, Dijana Karatovic, Josipa Markovic, Laura Milos, Lea Cvetnic, Lucija Mlinar, Mia Bilusic, Natalija Tomic

Middle blockers: Bianca Lulic, Bozana Butigan, Ema Strunjak, Lara Dezulovic, Martina Samadan, Mirta Freund, Viktoria Ana Trcol

Liberos: Carla Stosic, Izabela Stimac, Tia Kovco

(Featured image source: Volleyball World)

(Written by Boris CHUNG Bok Man)