HAOK Mladost started their MEVZA League campaign with a 3-0 (25:21, 25:22, 28:26) victory over OK Dinamo Zagreb.
The last three encounters between the two teams, including last season’s Final Four, all went in Mladost’s favor and it seems that the winning streak continues this season as well. Under Italian head coach Riccardo Boieri, Mladost are defending the MEVZA League title.
It’s still early in the season and both teams are yet to reach their full rhythm, which was evident in this clash between city and national rivals, Dinamo being the reigning Croatian champions. However, from the very start in the Dom odbojke hall, the home side adapted better.
In the opening set, with Mirta Freund on serve, Mladost went on a 4–0 run to lead 6:3, and later repeated the same streak for 15:11. Mladost looked more fluid overall: their reception and defense were stable, while their attack proved efficient, so they secured the first set 25:21, despite Dinamo closing the gap to 21:22 late in the set.
In the second set, Mladost once again started strong, taking a 7:3 lead. Dinamo fought back and leveled at 9:9, after which the game turned into a point-for-point battle. In the closing moments, the hosts pulled away again: 19:16, then 22:19 after a 3-0 run and claimed the set 25:22, led by strong performances from Freund and Koraca, and libero Dora Brasnic.
A drop in concentration followed for Mladost in the third set, as Dinamo came out more aggressive and surged to an 11:7 lead, later extending it to 17:10. But once Mladost “reset,” they entered the final stretch much more focused. The match heated up when Andrea Koraca scored from zone four to tie at 21:21, then served an ace to bring her team ahead 23:22. In the end, Mladost’s setter Ana Prkacin sealed the deal – first with a brilliant behind-the-back tip, and then with an ace serve for 28:26 and the 3-0 victory.
“We’re happy, we achieved our goal. We said we wanted a 3-0 win, and we got it. We still believe we can grow and improve in certain areas, but 3-0 is 3-0. I think we earned it, we worked for it, and we’ll keep going this way,” said Mladost captain Ana Istuk, who scored 14 points.
Andrea Koraca was the top scorer with 15 points, followed by Mirta Freund with 12, Tonka Bosnjak with 10, Rita Bogati Pantelic with 5, and Ana Prkacin with 2.
“We won against a team that’s very dominant in attack, with a strong opposite. And we’re still not complete, we’re missing Leonarda Grabic and Pamella Owino. Still, I think our opposite Tonka Bosnjak was the MVP today, with 40% attack efficiency. That’s a big step forward for us, especially considering that Dinamo is a full-strength team, and we’re not yet,” emphasized Mladost’s new head coach Riccardo Boieri.
Mladost’s next MEVZA League match will be on Thursday at 7 pm against OTP Banka Branik Maribor, while Dinamo faces the same opponent tomorrow at the same time, also in Dom odbojke.
“I know what happened last year in the Croatian Championship final against Dinamo. That’s why today’s win means a lot to me, especially a 3-0 victory. Even in the last set, when we were down by seven points, we managed to come back through tactical decisions. I’m very happy with how we recharged our energy for the day after tomorrow,” Boieri concluded.
