Czech Republic W vs Serbia W

Serbia seized control from the outset. With star opposite Tijana Bošković firing early and veteran setter Maja Ognjenović dictating tempo, the Serbs built a two-set lead with aggressive serving and a disruptive block that stifled Czechia's primary attackers. Ognjenović, playing in her historic 10th EuroVolley campaign, distributed effectively to Bošković, Aleksandra Uzelac and the middle blockers.

Czechia found their footing in the third set. Playing in front of a passionate home crowd at Brno Exhibition Centre — The Pavilion, the hosts tightened their defence and capitalised on a rare spell of Serbian errors to extend the match, winning the set and briefly raising hopes of a comeback.

But Serbia reset quickly. They opened the fourth set with renewed intensity, racing to an early advantage and never allowing Czechia back into contention. Coach Zoran Terzić's side re-established their blocking presence and cut off Czechia's attacking options, closing the match decisively.

The third-set recovery briefly shifted momentum toward the hosts, but Serbia's immediate response in the fourth set was decisive. After dropping their first set of the tournament, the Serbs did not allow another wobble — the speed and authority of their reset was the key difference.

Tijana Bošković (Serbia) — The superstar opposite was the match's dominant force, particularly in the opening two sets where her power from the right side forced Czechia into defensive scrambling. She led Serbia's scoring.

Maja Ognjenović (Serbia) — The veteran setter orchestrated Serbia's offence with precision across her 10th EuroVolley campaign, making full use of her attacking weapons.

Monika Brancuska (Czechia) — The Czech opposite, who had been her team's top scorer in the opening win over Greece with 23 points (22 kills at 45% efficiency, 1 block), carried much of the offensive load again.

Ela Koulisiani (Czechia) — The middle blocker contributed at the net with timely blocks but, like her teammates, found Serbia's block increasingly difficult to solve as the match wore on.

Player of the Match: Tijana Bošković (Serbia)

Serbia's dominance across three of the four sets reflected a significant gap in attacking efficiency and blocking presence at critical moments. While the page already displays overall possession and shot counts, the key factor was Serbia's ability to shut down Czechia's transition offence — repeatedly neutralising their primary attackers when the match was on the line. Czechia's offence spiked only during the third set, when they managed to disrupt Serbia's service pressure and create faster attacking opportunities.

Serbia move to 2-0 in Pool B and are firm favourites to finish first in the group, which would secure a favourable Round of 16 draw. Czechia drop to 2-1 but remain well placed to advance, though the loss likely means a second-place finish unless other results shift the table.

Czechia's remaining pool matches are against Ukraine (24 August) and Bulgaria (25 August). Serbia next face Bulgaria on 24 August and Greece on 25 August.

Serbia delivered the statement win Pool B demanded. After opening their campaign with a dominant straight-set victory over Austria (25-17, 25-9, 21-25), they proved their championship credentials against the hosts in a higher-pressure environment. For Czechia, there is no dishonour in losing to a three-time EuroVolley champion, but their remaining pool fixtures now carry extra weight.