Miroslav Aksentijevic considers Almaty podium a new milestone for Croatia
Almaty, Kazakhstan, June 19, 2016 – Coach Miroslav Aksentijevic declared Sunday's 3-0 (25-19, 29-27, 25-16) win against Kazakhstan as a triumphant moment in Croatia's volleyball history. The Croatian side savoured their golden moment as Group 3 champions of the FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix at the Baluan Sholak Sports Palace on Sunday.
Miroslav Aksentijevic, coach of Croatia: "I am very proud of the team. It was a difficult game as every final is. We expected a hard game. Kazakhstan pushed our team but my girls showed strong character."
"I am very happy that we are starting a new era in Croatian volleyball, including few young players. Samanta (Fabris) is one of our young players and she is slowly becoming to be a very important player. We have several other promising players, and I hope all the world will see them as soon as possible."
Mia Jerkov, captain of Croatia: "For us every final is a difficult match and we were 100% focused in playing. Kazakhstan opened the match really well, they were really aggressive. They studied our play really well so in the beginning we had certain difficulties to overcome. But we were really focused to come out strong in defence and in transition."
"It's a great victory for us. It's a historical event for the Croatian team and we look forward to the future."
Vyacheslav Shapran, coach of Kazakhstan: “It's a sad day for us because volleyball holiday in the country is finished. It is good though, that many young people came to the see the match, and this is good for the sport."
"Today, we lost to the strongest team and to a better team. I would like to congratulate the Croatian team for their success."
Radmila Beresneva, captain of Kazakhstan: “We have a very young team in this tournament. We gained very good experience and good lessons to look into. I think next year, we will be even better in the competition."