Mladost count on home-court advantage in re-match with rookies Turan TOVUZ
News
The women’s team of Mladost will host Azerbaijan’s reigning national champions Turan TOVUZ on Thursday, October 29, at 8:00 PM at the Bojan Stranić Volleyball Hall in Zagreb, in the return leg of the CEV Champions League Volley Round 2.
Mladost head into the European clash in high spirits following an excellent start to the Croatian championship. In the opening four rounds of the Superliga, they recorded four convincing straight-set victories, defeating Ribola Kaštela, Kelteks, Nebo and Dinamo, all by 3-0.
The team has been further strengthened this season with the arrival of Greek outside hitter Konstantina Vlachaki, Belgian national team libero Noor Debouck, and Croatian setter Rudy Renko Ilić, who brings extensive international experience.
Mladost have had a demanding schedule in recent weeks, combining domestic league commitments with a long trip to Azerbaijan, where they faced Turan in the first leg in Tovuz. Head coach Riccardo Boieri is pleased with the team’s current condition and the progress his players have been making:
“The team is in good shape at the moment. We have finally finished a demanding week of travelling, going from Zagreb to Baku and then to Tovuz. We also played against Dinamo, which was technically in Zagreb, but still not at our home venue. We are improving from match to match, and most importantly, all the players are healthy and recovering well.”
The Italian coach is well aware of the quality of the Azerbaijani side, which demonstrated its attacking strength in the first leg. “In terms of what we need to improve, I think we still have some work to do on our defence. Our opponents were very strong in attack in the first match. I believe the key to getting a good result is for us to play our best game and hope that our opponents do not have their best day,” explained the Mladost head coach. “Our biggest advantage and opportunity is that we are finally playing at home, in front of our own fans. That is what we want to build on and make the most of,” Boieri concluded.