Sara Caric shines in exciting generation of 'zoomers'

There's a bunch of 'zoomers' taking over volleyball this year.

Consider the ages of the top five scorers after Week 1 at the 2021 FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League: Magdalena Stysiak, 20; Sara Caric, 20; Britt Herbots, 21; Katarina Lazovic, 21; Ebrar Karakurt, 21.

And Serbia's Caric, who just turned 20 last February, is the new star, shining very bright amongst them as she made her debut in the team of the world champions.

Caric took up volleyball to join her friends who had started to attend training sessions. It wasn't long before she was called up for a test event in Belgrade and then got to sign up for Vizura Belgrade in the Serbian top league.

"When I was starting my journey with volleyball, Jovana Brakocevic was my role model, because she was the best player of our national team," says Caric, who has been leading the scoring for the young Serbian squad already making waves at the VNL in Italy's Adriatic resort of Rimini.

"But I also admire Novak Djokovic and our basketball players. I pattern myself on their way of behaving and their attitude towards the game."

Like absolutely everyone else in the Rimini 'bubble', she's delighted to be back in action in these uncertain times - more so because this is at a tournament of huge significance for such a young team as hers.

"It's obviously a great experience," said Caric. "This is the first time that I am a member of the senior national team and this feeling is impossible to describe with words. It's wonderful to play here together with the girls, feel this energy and simply enjoy the game."

But there's no trepidation or any kind of nervousness. They're all having great fun, while growing and maturing as players.

"There is hardly any stage fright, because I used to train with most of the girls from this team at some stage," adds Caric. "The atmosphere is more relaxed, because we all know each other, we hang out, so it's easier. Actually, it's really nice, because we have this 'connection' and we have also shown it on the court."

It's still early days yet in the VNL, but these plucky Serbian youngsters are already aiming high.

"We can achieve a lot, because we constantly show our fighting spirit and some new elements. When we really want to do something, I think, we truly can do everything. It's some kind of fearlessness, along with huge motivation and will to put our best foot forward, playing against all these great teams. I hope that we will also succeed in the next matches, that we will do our best and obviously that we will win."