Tijana Boskovic celebrates with Serbian supporters after their 3-2 win over Italy in the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship final
Lausanne, Switzerland, October 22, 2018 – The culmination of the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship in Japan was one of the most thrilling finales in the sport, with Serbia marching to a brilliant 3-2 (21-25, 25-14, 23-25, 25-19, 15-12) triumph over Italy.
The audience in Yokohama, Japan were treated to the first World Championship final between two European teams, showcasing world-class volleyball in an exciting five-setter.
Serbia improved on their third place finish in 2006 (as Serbia and Montenegro) by becoming the seventh country to win the world title.
Tijana Boskovic closed off the tournament with 176 spikes, 11 blocks and six aces, which earned her the Most Valuable Player prize.
The 21-year-old Boskovic duelled with Italy’s Paola Egonu on scoring, which came from their thunderous spikes.
Serbia captain Maja Ognjenovic had tears of joy when her team turned their dream of winning the title into reality.
Brankica Mihajlovic and Stefana Veljkovic, who were also instrumental in the Serbian victory, expressed their delight.
The players also dedicated the victory to their team-mate Bojana Milenkovic, who suffered a knee injury earlier in the competition.
The 2018 edition of the World Championship in Japan showcased the rise of young talents like Egonu, Miryam Sylla, Ofelia Malinov and Yan Ni, but also the reign of superstars like Zhu Ting, Monica De Gennaro and Milena Rasic, who all made it to the Dream Team.