Serbia W vs Czech Republic W

Serbia controlled the opening set from the first whistle. A dominant service game and efficient attacking saw them race to a 25-17 win, with Bošković and Uzelac setting the tone early.

The Czech Republic responded in the second set. They tightened their defence and punished Serbian errors, taking the set 25-19 and levelling the match at 1-1 after 92 minutes of play in total.

Zoran Terzić's side reclaimed control in the third. Serbia established an early lead and, although the Czechs pushed back, held on to take it 25-21. The fourth set followed a similar pattern — Serbia dictated terms from the baseline and closed out the match 25-19.

The second-set loss was a wake-up call for Serbia. Having dominated the opener, they lost concentration and allowed the Czech Republic to dictate tempo. The tactical reset between sets two and three proved decisive. Serbia came out with sharper passing and higher blocking efficiency in the third, suffocating Czech attacks early in rallies. Once they secured the 25-21 win, the match never swung back.

Tijana Bošković — 26 points. The superstar opposite hitter was the focal point of Serbia's attack, delivering from both the front and back rows. Her consistency in high-pressure moments was the difference in sets three and four.

Aleksandra Uzelac — 26 points. The young outside hitter matched Bošković point for point, continuing a stellar 2026 that has seen her emerge as one of Serbia's most reliable attacking weapons.

Hena Kurtagić — 9 points. The middle blocker provided solid support at the net with efficient quick attacks and contributed to Serbia's blocking structure.

Monika Brancuska — 16 points (Czech Republic). The Czech captain led her side's resistance, particularly in the second set where her attacking kept Serbia's defence scrambling.

The 92-minute match duration reflects a contest that, while decisive, was not without its competitive passages. Serbia's ability to bounce back from a set down — a situation they have often handled well under Terzić — was the story. The first and fourth sets were one-sided affairs (25-17, 25-19), sandwiching two tighter sets. The Czech Republic's second-set win (25-19) demonstrated they can trouble Serbia, but the visitors could not sustain that level across four sets. Serbia's firepower from Bošković and Uzelac — who accounted for 52 of Serbia's total points — proved overwhelming.

This was the first of two scheduled friendlies between the sides in Belgrade, with the second — also played behind closed doors — taking place the following day. Both matches are final preparation for the CEV EuroVolley 2026, which runs from 21 August to 6 September across Azerbaijan, Turkey, Sweden and the Czech Republic.

Serbia are drawn in Pool B in Brno, alongside the Czech Republic, Austria, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Greece. The top four teams from each group advance to the Round of 16. The European champion earns a direct berth at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Terzić admitted after the win that the preparation matches offer only a partial picture. "I'm still not sure exactly how things look," he told Serbian media, per VolleyWeek. "We'll have to play a few matches at the European Championship against the real opponents... I'd say we won these two matches [against the Czechs] relatively easily." He also cautioned that the Czech Republic would be a different prospect in front of a home crowd in Brno.

Serbia did what was expected — controlled the match against a competitive but outgunned Czech side, with their two superstar attackers operating at full force. The brief dip in the second set is a minor concern but hardly alarming three weeks before the real tournament begins. For the Czech Republic, the match showed they can hang with elite opposition in patches but lack the firepower to sustain four-set pressure.