EAGLES TOPPLE ARGENTINA: Serbian Volleyball Team Opens Nations League with a Victory! (VIDEO)

A successful start for Serbia! The team coached by George Krecu defeated Argentina 3-1 (25:23, 25:20, 25:27, 26:24) in its opening match of the Volleyball Nations League.

Serbia began the tournament in Brasília with a somewhat revamped lineup. The starting six featured Aleksa Batak, Veljko Mašulović, Vuk Kulpinac, Lazar Marinović, Aleksandar Nedeljković, Aleksandar Stefanović, and libero Stefan Negić.

The Eagles played with great determination, following the instructions of head coach George Krecu from the bench, and secured Serbia’s first victory over Argentina since 2022.

It was an unusual match, as the “Gauchos” committed as many as 45 errors, meaning Serbia could have wrapped up the win even earlier. Still, the men in blue did not pay a heavy price for missing two match points in the third set.

The Serbian players entered the match highly motivated. With strong serving and an active block, they controlled the action early and built an 11:8 lead. However, things soon took a turn for the worse. A series of mistakes helped their opponents, frustrated the coach, and left Serbia trailing 16:13. At that stage, it seemed Argentina had all the momentum.

But the battle was far from over. Thanks to Mašulović’s outstanding serving, along with crucial blocks from Nedeljković and Batak, the Eagles fought back to level the score at 21:21. Marinović then produced a moment of brilliance to put Serbia ahead, while the young Kulpinac sealed the opening set.

#VNL2026: 🇷🇸 SERBIA ARE IN CONTROL!

They take Set 2 and extend their lead to 2-0 over Argentina 🇦🇷 in Brasília. 🔥

One set away from victory in their #VNL opener. 👀

📺 LIVE on VBTV: https://t.co/tLeKGVNZId

🏐 #BePartOfTheGame #Volleyball pic.twitter.com/Apm4Fm71KQ
— Volleyball World (@volleyballworld) June 10, 2026

Argentina tried to maintain an aggressive approach, but those efforts resulted in too many mistakes, both on serve and in attack. Serbia comfortably maintained a sizable lead throughout the second set, winning long rallies through patient play and excellent court coverage. Argentina threatened late in the set by narrowing the gap to 22:20, but another series of errors allowed Serbia to double its advantage.

It appeared that the Serbian side was dictating the pace in the third set as well, but the Argentines refused to give up. Despite their struggles, they remained competitive and even took a 19:17 lead late in the set. The young Serbian squad came under pressure, yet the Eagles still managed to earn two match points in a thrilling finish. However, despite committing 14 errors, Argentina completed a comeback and reduced the deficit in sets.

That setback did not discourage Serbia. The Eagles continued to control the rhythm of the match, and after an ace by Marinović, they led 9:6 in the fourth set. It was far from easy afterward, as Argentina drew level at 20:20 thanks to a powerful serve from Morel. In the end, however, fortune smiled on Serbia. The “Gauchos” continued to make costly mistakes, and that was as close as they would get.

Serbia ultimately closed out the match and opened its Nations League campaign with an important victory.