VNL 2021

Drazen Luburic bangs 33 against Netherlands for fourth '30+' in men's VNL

Serbia opposite shines in serving to keep his side alive in race for semifinals

Published 01:00, 22 Jun 2021

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Drazen Luburic prepares to serve as he delivers eight aces and 32 points against the Netherlands at the 2021 FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League.

Drazen Luburic fired off 33 points against the Netherlands on Tuesday, helping Serbia take the match in five sets and cling on to some hope of advancing to the semifinals of the 2021 FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League which continues at Italy's Adriatic resort of Rimini.

The 27-year-old opposite served an impressive eight aces and scored from 24 attacks (24/42 for 57%) and one block for his total of 33. He scored 9 points in the tie-break alone as Serbia held off the Dutch for the tight win, attaking for 82% (9/11) and adding an ace.

Luburic is the fourth player this season to score 30 points or more in a single VNL match. It is the second-best scoring performance at this year's men's VNL.

Earlier in the competition the Netherlands' Nimir Abdel-Aziz (not playing against Serbia due to injury) had shattered the all-time VNL scoring record with 43 points against France. In the same match France's Theo faure had scored 30 points.

Slovenia's Klemen Cebulj had also smashed 32 points against Russia.

Luburic is the second Serb to appear on the all-time VNL list of players to have scored '30+' after Aleksandar Atanasijevic who bagged 32 against Iran 2018.

All-time list of players to score '30+' in a single VNL match
Pts
Player
Ctry
vs
Edition
42
Nimir Abdel-Aziz
NED
FRA (3-2)
2021
37
Jiang Chuan
CHN
FRA (3-2)
2018
32
Ivan Zaytsev
ITA
BRA (3-2)
2018
32
Aleksandar Atanasijevic
SRB
IRI (3-2)
2018
32
Klemen Cebulj
SLO
RUS (3-2)
2021
31
Paul Carroll
AUS
CHN (3-1)
2018
31
Stephen Boyer
FRA
USA (3-2)
2018
31
Sharone Vernon
CAN
POL (1-3)
2019
30
Theo Faure
FRA
NED (2-3)
2021