Serbia take women's volleyball bronze: Bošković shines as head coach Terzić faces health scare

Serbia beat Poland 3-1 in the women's volleyball bronze medal match, but the scoreline did not fully reflect how rocky the road was. Head coach Zoran Terzić had to leave the bench because of a health issue. During his absence, Serbia lost the third set 15-25. Poland played well in that moment, but Serbia responded by winning the fourth set 25-18 to close out the match. What looked like a tactical setback became a valuable test of composure. Tijana Bošković finished with 29 points, while Magdalena Stysiak had 28. Both are elite opposites and carried much of their teams' attacking pressure. However, Serbia also received solid support from Aleksandra Uzelac, who scored 15 points, while Kurtagić and Tica added 12 each. That distribution helped Serbia keep attacking even when Poland's block focused on Bošković. Poland painted a different picture. Stysiak scored 28 points and was almost the sole scoring reference. That creates major dependence on her form and stamina. Without detailed attacking-efficiency data, it is hard to blame Stysiak alone for the loss, but the structural weakness was clear. The match offered a lesson about leadership. When the head coach leaves, an assistant coach or a captain often has to steady the team. Serbia wobbled in set three, then found control in set four. That control did not come from a complicated tactical plan, but from players taking responsibility on court. In the gold medal match, Melissa Vargas and Paola Egonu both scored 28 points. The final underlined another trend: top women's volleyball still relies heavily on star opposites. Serbia's bronze, however, showed that resilience and supporting scorers make the difference when the spotlight moves away from the main star.