Mujanović steps into the spotlight as Slovenia chase EuroVolley glory
Feature
With less than two weeks to go until the start of CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 Men, Nik Mujanović arrives at the EuroVolley as a very different player from the teenager who collected bronze at the same tournament three years ago. Now 21, the Slovenian opposite has emerged as one of the brightest young stars in European Volleyball, following a breakthrough year and a historic summer in which he helped Slovenia claim their maiden VNL medal and finished as the tournament’s second-highest scorer.
Slovenia head into CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 Men with plenty of confidence after making history this summer. The team have become one of the most consistent forces in European volleyball, reaching the podium at each of the last three editions of the EuroVolley. Now, just weeks after claiming their maiden VNL medal, Slovenia arrive at the European Championship with renewed momentum, with Nik Mujanović among the players to watch.
At just 21 years of age, Nik Mujanović has developed into a key figure in Fabio Soli’s team over the past two seasons, showcasing his versatility, talent and growing maturity on the international stage. This summer, he took another major step forward, finishing the VNL as the second-highest scorer and helping Slovenia make history in Ningbo. Mujanović scored a spectacular 37 points against Poland in the VNL pool stage - the fourth-highest individual tally in VNL history, with only Nimir Abdel-Aziz having scored more - and eventually finished the tournament with 277 points, just one behind Alex Nikolov. He then led Slovenia’s scoring with 24 points in their historic 3-1 victory over Japan in the bronze-medal match. For Mujanović, however, the significance of the medal goes far beyond the numbers"
"It was quite a journey for us. I wasn't around for the years when we struggled, finishing in fourth place, so I didn't experience all of that frustration, as I only came into a regular role last year. But I know a bit about that feeling from last season, even though I wasn't as involved as I was this year. It is a huge medal for us, and I'm really happy that I was able to be part of such a big achievement. I hope it's also good motivation for us going forward - for the European Championship coming up now and then for the next couple of seasons - to know that we are capable of competing with and beating these kinds of teams in important matches."
Nik Mujanović"For me personally, it's also special. I already won a medal with the national team at EuroVolley 2023, but this one feels a lot different because I've actually played the games. Obviously, even when you're on the bench, you're still part of the team and contributing in your own way, but now I feel I was able to give more to the team this year, and that means a lot to me. At the same time, there is a bit of frustration because I feel I wasn't able to give as much as I'm capable of in some games, like the semifinal against Poland. So I think it's a really big step forward, both for us and for me personally."
player of Slovenia
That step forward has been built on versatility. Mujanović's breakthrough came last season when injuries to Slovenia's outside hitters forced him to move away from his usual opposite position. Instead of simply filling a gap, he turned the unexpected challenge into an opportunity, impressing at both the VNL and his first World Championship in the Philippines. Now back in his nominal position, he admits the transition has not been entirely straightforward.
"Yes and no. I would say last year was actually easier than this year because there was really no expectation around me. Everyone was like, 'We don't have any further options, so let's just see what happens, put him in there and hope for the best'. This year, starting the season, maybe the expectations were the same from the outside, but I put more pressure and expectations on myself. I wanted to be more useful than I was at the World Championship, especially because we didn't have a great finish there last year. I would say the bigger adjustment this season was getting back into the rhythm I had at the World Championship and working on some things, mostly reception, but also my spiking and my game in general. It's been nice to be back at opposite, but at the same time, because I spent so much time at the beginning of the national team season practising as an outside hitter, I feel I'm not quite as good at opposite as I know I can be. I've had some good games and good performances, but I still feel there is a lot of room for improvement, and I want to get closer to my best for the European Championship”, said Mujanović.
The transformation is remarkable when compared with his first EuroVolley experience. Mujanović was already part of Slovenia’s bronze-medal team in 2023, making his tournament debut at just 18 years old. But his role - and his perspective - have changed significantly in the three years since.
"The only vivid memory I have from that tournament is the final point by Rok Možič in the last match. It's a pretty good memory, but at the time I was much younger and less experienced, both with volleyball and with the attitude I think you're supposed to have in team sports. I was a little more focused on myself than I should have been. I don't think I was as happy about the medal as I should have been because I was frustrated, thinking, ‘Why didn't I play?’ and things like that. Then, as the years went on, especially after I spent that season in Monza and more time with the national team, I sort of grew up. I learned to be happy for my team even if I'm not the one playing."
That maturity is now an important part of Mujanović’s value to a Slovenian team that continues to chase the one major prize missing from its collection: European gold. Slovenia have won silver at EuroVolley in 2015, 2019 and 2021, followed by bronze in 2023, making them one of the most consistent teams on the European stage in recent years. Their maiden VNL medal in Ningbo has only strengthened their position among the leading contenders heading into this year’s EuroVolley.
Nik Mujanović"Our goal is generally always to go for that gold medal. Obviously, it hasn't worked out yet, but I think it's important to have high ambitions. If you don't work for the best possible result, I think it's much more likely that you will come up even shorter than expected. So we're always aiming for gold, and that hasn't changed — not for the VNL and now not for the EuroVolley either - because I think we are capable of winning it. I hope I can contribute to the team as well as I have in some of the VNL games, because I think if I do my part and play as well as I know I can, we can achieve something pretty great."
player of Slovenia
"In general, I really want this season to be a good one. I feel we're in a good place as a team right now. There are a couple of little hiccups and things that aren't ideal, but I guess that's always going to be the case. Overall, I feel the energy and the form of the players are in a really good place, and I want to make the most of that and try to win something big at the European Championship" - highlighted Mujanović.
The road to this point began in Kamnik, where Mujanović first picked up a Volleyball at around the age of 10. Volleyball was not, however, his first choice. He played basketball, tried gymnastics and took part in various school sports, while his father, Šemso Mujanović, had also played Volleyball.
"When I was a kid, I played a lot of sports. I played mostly basketball and a bit of gymnastics, and at school I tried a lot of different sports. Then, at a youth regional tournament with my school, there was a coach from the team in my town who tried to encourage me to join a couple of times. I always told him that I was playing basketball and that I was committed to it, so I wasn't going to change. But one of my classmates basically told me, ‘Just do it for a week and then see how you feel.’ That's when I started practising volleyball, and I felt that it was the thing for me. I never thought I would become a professional until much, much later. My parents were very school-oriented, so becoming a professional athlete didn't really come into my mind until later. But I did feel that volleyball was the sport for me. I didn't have that same feeling with the other sports I tried."
His journey began around the time Slovenia were making their first breakthrough at EuroVolley. In 2015, the national team won their first European Championship silver medal, but Mujanović was not yet following the sport closely enough to appreciate what was happening. "At that time I wasn't watching the sport at all. I was more into video games and TV shows. Although I played volleyball, I didn't really watch it until much later."
Now, Mujanović is not only one of the players to watch at EuroVolley but also a player younger generations can look up to. His rise has come without the traditional story of a childhood sporting idol, although several players have influenced his development along the way. "When I was very young, no, I didn't have an idol because, like I said, I wasn't really watching sports much. When I started playing in Kamnik, Mitja Gasparini was also there. He was one of the best opposites we had, so he was kind of my inspiration for a while. Then, when I went to Monza, I spent some time with Stephen Maar, who ended up being - and still is - one of the reasons I managed to develop a better mindset for volleyball. I'm very grateful to him for that."
“When people ask me about my idol, I wouldn't really say I idolise him, but I really respect his approach to Volleyball. He is probably one of the reasons I've made it as far as I have today.”
From an 18-year-old reserve player collecting a bronze medal in 2023 to one of the VNL’s most prolific scorers three years later, Mujanović’s rise has been rapid. Now he returns to the CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 Men in a completely different role - and with a different mindset. Slovenia have never hidden their ambition of finally reaching the top of the European podium. After a historic first VNL medal and with Mujanović arriving at EuroVolley at the peak of his young career, the next chapter of that pursuit could be one of the most intriguing stories of the tournament.