Slovenian men’s national team coach Gheorghe Cretu will have the country’s best players available for the upcoming Volleyball Nations League 2024 season, through which they hope to achieve a historic qualification to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The Romanian trainer announced a roster of 17 players, including some big names that had to skip the team’s most recent competitions because of injuries.
13 of the 14 athletes that participated in the FIVB Road to Paris Volleyball Qualifiers in the fall and finished third in their pool in Japan, just below the cut-off for Paris 2024, will return to the team to start preparations for the new season on May 6 in Ljubljana. The only one missing is middle blocker Danijel Koncilija, who did not get to appear on the court during the team’s seven matches in Tokyo.
The roster features the experienced 35-year-old setter of reigning club world champions Sir Susa Vim Perugia, Gregor Ropret, who sprained his ankle during a CEV European Championship semifinal in September and missed not only the bronze medal match, which Slovenia won, but also the entire Olympic qualification tournament in Japan that followed. Dejan Vincic, who replaced Ropret on the squad back then, is also on Cretu’s list for 2024, along with playmaker Uros Planinsic.
28-year-old opposite Toncek Stern will also return to action after sitting out the entire 2023 national team season because of an injury. He will be sharing the post with rising star Nik Mujanovic.
Well-seasoned captain Tine Urnaut and star players Klemen Cebulj and Rok Mozic will lead a pack of six outside hitters. The list of middle blockers is headlined by Alen Pajenk and Jan Kozamernik, while libero Jani Kovacic will share his position with Urban Toman.
