Montenegro’s women’s volleyball team is preparing for a historic European Championship debut in Gothenburg, with the national team set to face host Sweden in its opening match on Friday, August 21. The tournament marks the first appearance of Montenegro’s women’s team at the European Championship and represents a major milestone for the country’s volleyball program. For 26 year old middle blocker Mina Dragović, the tournament is the culmination of nearly a decade with the senior national team. After years of qualification campaigns, preparations and international competitions, she is finally set to experience the moment the team has been working toward. Dragović said she is looking forward to the challenge and particularly likes the strength of Montenegro’s group.
Montenegro has been drawn into Group D alongside Sweden, Italy, France, Slovakia and Croatia. The schedule immediately presents a major challenge, with Montenegro facing the host nation first before meeting Italy the following day. France, Slovakia and Croatia will then complete the group stage. The four highest placed teams will advance to the round of 16. The team arrives in Sweden with confidence after completing an unbeaten preparation period. Montenegro defeated Portugal 3 to 2 in its final official preparation match in Kolašin, with Nikoleta Perović leading the team with 22 points. Dragović also made an important contribution, finishing the match with nine points.
The preparation period also included matches against Austria and Portugal, giving coach Jovo Caković an opportunity to test his squad before selecting the final 14 players for the European Championship. The team travelled to Gothenburg on August 18, with attention now firmly focused on the opening match against Sweden. The tournament represents a major milestone for Montenegrin women’s volleyball. After years of developing the national program and competing through qualification campaigns, the team now has the opportunity to measure itself against some of Europe’s strongest sides. The difficult group means every match will be important, but the players arrive with confidence and the experience of a strong preparation period behind them.
Montenegro’s historic European Championship debut is therefore about more than results. It is the reward for years of work by players, coaches and the national volleyball program, while also giving a new generation of Montenegrin athletes an opportunity to compete on one of the biggest stages in European sport. The first test comes Friday in Gothenburg, where Montenegro will face Sweden and officially begin its historic EuroVolley journey.
