The Next Big Thing in Volleyball: Rok Možic

In January 2020, at age 17, Rok Možic made his first official appearance in the national team of Slovenia during the CEV Tokyo Volleyball European Qualification 2020 in Berlin, one and a half years later he grabbed the attention of Volleyball fans and experts around the world after his remarkable performance at the Volleyball Nations League in Rimini, where Slovenia finished 4th in their maiden performance in this competition. He stunned everyone even more, earning the crown of the #EuroBeachVolleyU20 champion only two weeks later in Izmir. One of the most promising young players with feistiness and Volleyball in his blood starts to conquer the Volleyball world.

His story

Volleyball – in the case of Rok Možic – is not a coincidence. It’s safe to say that he has this sport in his genes, as both his parents were successful Volleyball players.. “My father and mother played volleyball, so it seemed to be a logical choice. In addition, my father has been also a coach, so he has had a huge role in my career, my mother, too. I tried some other sports, including football, basketball, karate and ski jumping, but Volleyball was always there and when I had to choose one sport it was an obvious decision, because I knew that Volleyball is the best for me.” Being introduced to the sport by parents once he began to walk, he started to attend regular training at age 10, in primary school. He also made his first steps in Beach Volleyball very early – first during summer holidays with parents and then during the camps organised by his father on the Beach Volleyball courts that belong to his family in Selnica ob Dravi.

Going Pro

A native of Maribor born in 2002 joined the first squad of OK Merkur Maribor in the 2018/2019 season. Constantly improving his skills, he became a key player of the team. A young 200-cm-tall outside-hitter was among top scorers of the national league showing his true potential. The 2020/2021 season was a truly remarkable one – he led his club to the national championship, the first one after 28 years ending 17-year supremacy of ACH Volley Ljubljana! “We won the national title after 28 years and it’s really a nice story, because my father was in the squad that won the last title for Maribor. It’s definitely the most memorable achievement for me – the national title, my home club, everybody in our city was working for this, my father is a coach there, my friends are from there, too. It was all for them. Lifting a trophy with your team after 28 years – it’s unbelievable. We were losing in the finals 0-2 to ACH Volley who won the last 17 editions, then we won 3-2 and 3-1 playing without some players who we lost due to injuries, and then we won the fifth decisive game at home in five-setter. I will never forget it.” Možic himself was the best scorer of the League with 541 points!

Rok Možic with his parents – father Peter and mother Mojca – after winning the national title with Maribor

National Team

Rok Možic made his official debut in the Slovenian national team in January 2020 during the CEV Tokyo Volleyball European Qualification 2020 in Berlin, but already at age 16 he was called by coach to the national team camp. However, it was this year’s edition of the FIVB Volleyball Nations League that allowed him to spread his wings. Jumping in and out of the starting line-up, he delivered several impressive performances. He became the best scorer (20 points, 54.84% of efficiency) in a thrilling five-setter against France. “Urnaut, Cebulj, Gasparini and Vincic were my idols and now I can play with them in the national team, this is like the biggest honour and compliment for me. First I was a little bit worried how I would play, how I could adapt to this new, senior Volleyball – faster and stronger, but now I can see that I can do it and I am good at that. I can beat all my idols from other teams. When I was younger, I looked up Wilfredo Leon and Earvin N’Gapeth and during the VNL I blocked N’Gapeth, so it was also a very good moment for me.” Eventually his team, after storming through the preliminary round with only three losses (vs Brazil, Serbia, Germany), had to settle for the 4th place in their debut at the VNL.

Rok Možic (#19) celebrating with his teammates successful action during the VNL 2021

#EuroBeachVolleyU20 champion

Five weeks of Volleyball games at the VNL was not enough for a vigorous 19-year-old Možic. Only one week after the event he went to Izmir to grab the gold at #EuroBeachVolleyU20. “It wasn’t easy. I had only two days off and then I trained with my partner Rok Bracko. I know him very well, because we played in the same club in Maribor and two years ago we won silver in Baden at #EuroBeachVolleyU18. It was demanding, but I’m happy that I went there, even if I wasn’t sure before if I should go, because I knew that I needed some rest. It was a good decision, because not every day you are the European champion. When we decided to go, we said that we want to come back home with a medal, we had silver, so it was our goal to come back to Slovenia with gold, we knew that it wouldn’t be easy, because there were some good players , but at the end we won all seven matches so I think we deserved this title.” Although successful and intensive indoor seasons he says that if he gets another chance to play in next seasons, he will be eager to play, especially that after earning national champion titles in all underaged categories he still misses the senior one. “This is also my goal in future. I like Beach Volleyball, so if there will be some good options like this #EuroBeachVolley and my contract allows it, I will go.”

Rok Možic (right) with his partner Rok Bracko are the newly-crowned #EuroBeachVolleyU20 champion

Going Abroad

Recently, Možic announced that in the 2021/2022 season he will join Verona Volley. “When I was younger I always said that I want to play in Italy. Last year, I also got some offers to go abroad from Italy, Germany, Poland and France, but I’m happy that I decided to play for Maribor one more year. We wrote a great story, but now I should go abroad, to play for a better club and to get more experience. I think Verona is a very good option for me, because if I will be good in training I can get a lot of minutes on the court, maybe I will be in the starting six. We will try to win a lot of games in the national league.”

Aiming high

Before going to Italy, he and his teammates from Slovenian national team will fight hard for the European crown at the #EuroVolley 2021, Slovenia having two silver medals in their collection is definitely hungry for gold. “It would be perfect if we could come back home with a medal, but it won’t be easy,” he admits. What are the biggest dreams of this promising athlete? “To win the national title in Italy, because it was always my goal. And to go to the Olympic Games and to get a medal there, I think it’s the best achievement for every athlete.”

News:
CEV – European Volleyball
OZS – Volleyball Slovenia