Mladost thrash OK GACKO to reach #CEVCupW quarterfinals

Mladost ZAGREB played the national champions of Bosnia and Herzegovina OK GACKO for a third time in about a month and a half – and recorded their third victory in as many matches to reach the quarterfinals of the women’s CEV Cup for the third time in their history. There, they will play France’s LEVALLOIS PARIS Saint Cloud, which sensationally eliminated THY ISTANBUL of Türkiye. Just as they had done a week ago in Bosnia and Herzegovina, quite expectedly Mladost beat OK GACKO 3-0 (25-14, 25-15, 25-23). 

From the first set, the young ladies of Mladost did show their intention of not wasting too much time to secure progression to the next round. By the score of 6-1, the visiting coach Sasa Slijepčević had already asked for a timeout, and he did so again at 18-10. The home team enjoyed their biggest lead when the score stood at 22-12. In the second set, however, the home team did seem to relax a bit and OK GACKO edged ahead at 4-1. It was just a momentary respite for the young players of Mladost, who quickly resumed their march with a series of four unanswered points. They pulled another such series towards the end of the set. In the third set, when qualification to the quarterfinals was already safe in their pockets, the coach of Mladost Miodrag Stojaković introduced some younger players from the bench, so Lorena Marija Sesar (who is the daughter of the head coach of Croatia’s basketball national team, Josip Sesar) played as setter, Tonka Bošnjak as opposite, Katarina Drobac as middle blocker, Leonarda Grabić in the position of outside hitter and Dora Brašnić as libero. After trailing 0-3, the hosts edged ahead at 9-8. The women from Zagreb kept that lead, this time not so dominantly though, until the end (25-23) to celebrate another 3-0 triumph over their neighbours from Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

Jelena Stanimirovic, player of OK GACKO: “Congratulations to the players of Mladost. They enjoyed a resounding victory tonight as well as last week. I wish them good luck for their next matches.” 

Sasa Slijepčević, head coach of OK GACKO: “I wish to congratulate the team of Mladost. They were much better than us and wish them success in the quarterfinals.” 

Katarina Drobac, player of Mladost: “We are very happy and satisfied with the result. Even our younger players had the chance to perform, and we are very excited ahead of the next round.”