Young Rok Mozic taking Slovenia to unprecedented heights

Rok Mozic made his debut with the Slovenia national team just last year at the European qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, but he's already getting established on the team at the 2021 FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League which continues at Italy's Adriatic resort of Rimini.

He has been on and off the starting lineup, but he was instrumental last week in one of Slovenia's spectacular victories when they came back from two sets down to stun France and knock them off the top of the standings.

"I'm very happy to be part of this team," Mozic had said earlier. "When I was young, these guys [I'm playing with now] were my idols. Everyday I say that I'm lucky to be part of this team here and that I can play with these guys and now I have had a chance to be on the court. I really enjoy being at this tournament."

"I would like to use every chance when I'm on the court, to play a good game when the coach gives me a chance to fully use this opportunity and help my team whenever it's possible," adds Mozic, who comes from a strong family background of volleyball. Both his parents were top players and competed with the national teams of Yugoslavia and then Slovenia.

"My father and mother played volleyball," says Mozic. "So it seemed to be a logical choice. I tried my hand at many other sports. My father was a coach of junior selections at clubs and schools, so it was an obvious solution as every day I could go for training sessions with him and this is how it started, so here I am."

Though he's still only 19, Mozic has been at it for a long time already.

"It is said that I started to play volleyball once I began to walk. Already when I was three or four years old, during summer holidays by the sea I was learning how to serve with a balloon. But normal training began when I was about 10, in primary school."