Association | Serbian Volleyball Federation | ||
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Confederation | CEV | ||
Head coach | Nikola Grbić | ||
FIVB ranking | 10 (as of August 2016) | ||
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Summer Olympics | |||
Appearances | 6 (First in 1980) | ||
Best result | Gold: 2000 | ||
World Championship | |||
Appearances | 9 (First in 1956) | ||
Best result | Silver: 1998 | ||
World Cup | |||
Appearances | 3 (First in 1965) | ||
Best result | Bronze: 2003 | ||
European Championship | |||
Appearances | 25 (First in 1951) | ||
Best result | Gold: 2001, 2011 |
The Serbia men's national volleyball team is the national team of Serbia. FIVB considers Serbia the inheritor of the records of SFR Yugoslavia (1948–1991) and Serbia and Montenegro (1992–2006). Serbia in Summer Olympic 2000 Sydney winner gold medal and Bronze medal 1996 Atlanta. The Yugoslav Olympic Committee declared the national volleyball team to be the best male team of the year in 2000, and the Olympic Committee of Serbia did the same in 2010 and 2013. In 2011 Serbia became European champion and in 2016 the champion of FIVB World League. The Victory in the FIVB World League was Serbia's first the team where nicknamed the "Million Dollar Boys" because that was the prize money set for the champions, Marko Ivovic was crowned MVP of the tournament while Srecko Lisinac was chosen as the Best Middle Blocker. Traditionally Serbia is one of Volleyballs powerhouse nations.
Serbia's most proud moment came at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 when under the name Yugoslavia it won Olympic gold, Italy was a heavy favorite, having won the last three World Championships and the European title in 1995 and 1999. But they had yet to win an Olympic gold medal. They swept thru Group B undefeated and won their quarter-final match over Australia. But in the semis, Serbia & Montenegro (Yugoslavia), runners-up at the 1998 Worlds, and bronze medalists at the 1999 Europeans, triumphed in straight sets, again denying Italy an Olympic gold medal. Serbia & Montenegro had struggled in the pools, finishing only third behind Italy and Russia, but they defeated Russia in straight sets in the final to win the Gold Medal. As in 1996, all the medalists came from the same pool, this time Group B.
Volleyball was brought to Serbia by g. William Viland, a professor of folklore and folk sports from Oakland (California), when the Red Cross held a series of lectures and demonstrations of American sports in Belgrade and Novi Sad. It is believed that his arrival marked the beginning of volleyball in this area, and in 1924 is considered the year when the first volleyball ball came to Serbia. During the period of occupation, between 1941 and 1944, volleyball was played very actively, numerous competitions where held, and more sports clubs/society's had established its volleyball section. The Serbian/Yugoslav Volleyball Federation was founded in 1946 by the Alliance for Physical Education of Yugoslavia. A year later, in 1947, the World Volleyball Federation (FIVB) was founded and the former Yugoslavia was one of the 14 founders (with Belgium, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, France, the Netherlands, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Uruguay and the United States). From 13 February 1949, the Volleyball Federation became an independent sports organization. Two years later, at the European Championships for seniors held in Paris, came the first medal for our sport - women's volleyball team of Yugoslavia won the bronze medal.This success is repeated with the mens seniors in 1975 when our country for the first time in history hosted the biggest European competition in men's and women's competition. Our volleyball team in the last match of the Final Group Bulgaria won 3: 0 in the crowded hall of "pioneer" in Belgrade and won the bronze medal, so decorating the perfect organization of the championship in our country. An Olympic Gold Medalist, Two Time European Champions and FIVB Volleyball World League Champion it is safe to say that Volleyball is a popular/major and successful sport in Serbia with a proud history.