Meet the quartet making a name for themselves in beach volleyball

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Serbians Stefan Basta (right) and Lazar Kolaric want to reach the 2020 Olympics – and help raise the profile of beach volleyball in their homeland. Photo credit: FIVB

Step aside Novak Djokovic! Serbia’s number one sporting star could soon have some company on the sports pages thanks to two pairs of rising beach volleyball stars!

The country might be obsessed with one of tennis’ all-time greats, but Stefan Basta and Lazar Kolaric and Milena Matic and Marija Milosevic might have something to say about that.

Serbia’s reputation in indoor volleyball has always been strong – we won’t list all of their achievements because we’d be here all day – but where does that leave the game on the beach? Well, thanks to these four, in good hands thank you very much.

Matic, 24, and Milosevic, 30, made it through to the women’s pool stages at the Antalya Open while Basta and Kolaric earned glowing praise following a fine performance at the Sochi Open last week.

The guys, who only started playing together last year, are aiming to put their experience to good use in the future – and help raise the profile of beach volleyball in Belgrade and beyond.

“Everyone in the world knows about the Serbian indoor volleyball teams. One of our goals is to create more interest in Serbia for beach volleyball,” 21-year-old Kolaric told FIVB.org.

“We also want to spend as much time on the sand as possible to improve our game with a goal to play beach volleyball at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“This is our first season on the tour and expectations weren’t very high. We wanted to qualify to the main draw in at least one FIVB Open and now we have qualified for four.”

However, there’s nothing better than being admired by your fellow pros, and perhaps the most encouraging words came from veteran American John Hyden.

The 43-year-old was full of admiration for the youngster when they met in Russia.

“The big guy (that’s Basta at an imposing 199 cm) is a good blocker and the younger player (Kolaric) sided out well,” said Hyden. “The key now is that since the Serbians are making a name for themselves, they will not surprise anyone again. Everyone will be ready to play them.”

It might take a while before Djokovic’s name is overhauled in the sports pages in Serbia, but if recent form is anything to go by then the quartet have no such worries about a successful career – and that, who knows, might include a little tour stop at one of our Majors...*insert smiley face*