Is it the second coming of Lutz?
It’s not a strong one shot, but the attack is smooth. He hits the offense with a high RBI. He’s also good at blocking from his big kidneys. This is why the commanders of the V-League women’s division are paying attention.
Banja Bukirich (24, Serbia) performed impressively in the evaluation match on the first day of the Korean Volleyball Federation (KOVO) women’s foreign player tryout held at Hassan Doan Sport Complex in Istanbul, Turkey on the 11th (hereinafter Korean time).
She is the tallest among the 40 players who participated in this tryout. As an apogee spiker, her offense is light, and the balls she hits stab the corners of the court. She doesn’t put a lot of power, but blockers couldn’t catch her high RBI attacks. Conversely, Bukirich’s blocking created a high wall right in front of the net.
Her body shape, appearance, and volleyball style also remind me of Mereta Lutz. Lutz has been active in the V-League for two seasons since the 2019-2020 season, giving GS Caltex a treble (winning the cup, 1st in the regular league, and winning the championship match). The story flowed out that there was a feeling of Lutz here and there in the stadium.
Prior to the tryout, the coaches’ first preference was Bukirich. On the first day, when the coaches said they were impressed with him, he laughed, saying, “I think they saw him accurately,” and said, “I think I can show something too,” and “I have the confidence to show a lot of good plays.”
Regarding his strengths, Bukirich said, “When I play as an apposite spiker, I like to hit the cross after looking at the corner for a long time on the block.” He also explained, “When I play as an outside heater, I hit crosses on the opposite side in a short time,” and “I prefer it because it is a difficult place to defend.”
Vukirić played for the United States and Serbia. Two years ago, he was selected for the Serbian national team and also competed in the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Volleyball Nations League (VNL).
At the time, Bukirich met Kim Yeon-kyung (Heungkuk Life Insurance), who was active in the Korean national team, and left a certified photo. Regarding the possibility of reuniting with Kim Yeon-kyung, Bukirich showed anticipation, saying, “I want to play together.” He said, “Whether we play together or against each other, it’s all good 메이저놀이터