Born for volleyball: With the winds of Baku, Daca dreams of Euro Volleyball with Montenegro

Danijela Džaković has been wearing the jersey of the Montenegrin volleyball team for a decade and a half.

As a member of Rudar in the then First League, she made her debut at the unreal age of 11. Of course, with special permission, it says odbojka.me.

Since joining Jedinstvo from Užice in 2013, she has changed 10 foreign clubs and seven countries: she has been to Turkey, Slovenia, Romania, Italy, Poland, the Philippines... She is now in Azerbaijan, playing for the club Mili Aviasia Akademijasija from Baku.

At 30 years old, she is a great hope for our team in the fight for a place in the European Championship, someone who younger players look up to.

In short, the popular Daca is a legend of volleyball in Montenegro.

And everything could have gone differently from the start. She was, as she says, "designed" for handball.

"Everyone around me, family, friends, the club director, saw me in handball, even when they saw that I was left-handed. I said - no, thank you," recalls Danijela Džaković.

"The love for volleyball, the elegance that this sport offers, prevailed. If you can use your technique to harm your opponent, to outsmart them – do that and that's what attracts me. Not by being rude or anything else, of course with all due respect for handball and other sports."

Volleyball, she says, gave her everything.

"She gave me everything and continues to give me a lot. I do what I love, what fulfills me, I travel, I meet other people, languages, cultures...".

With all that, she could fulfill her sports dream this summer...

"It's not just my dream, it's also the dream of many older girls who are no longer in the national team. We often talk about it. It's the dream of generations," says Daca.

Montenegro is close to securing a place in the European Championship for the first time, and everything will be known in August.

"We have been given a phenomenal chance to achieve historic success and we should not let it go. We have a very favorable situation, but also great potential in the team, especially in the younger girls, plus a phenomenal coach."

Danijela has known Jovo Caković for a long time.

"He's from Prijepolje, I'm from Pljevlja - we're close, we've known each other for a very long time, he even wanted to bring me when I was younger. I know how good a coach he is and his arrival is a great thing for our volleyball."

After being the top scorer in the Silver League two years ago, Danijela will miss the May games in the Golden League in agreement with the coaching staff, but will be there in August for the final qualifying round.

Until then, he will try to win the title in Azerbaijan, where he excels and carries the game of Mili Aviasije Akademiasije – in translation, the National Aviation Academy.

"We are second in the standings and what is smiling at us is a place in the final, I hope we have the skill and luck to win the trophy."

He has been in Azerbaijan for half a year now, and it started in the worst possible way – with an injury that kept him off the field for some time.

"I got injured in the first game, I broke a bone in my foot. It's not a very pleasant situation - they bring you in to be a leader, they pay you, and then you get injured and have to take a two-month break. That's why, honestly, I played three more matches under injections, when I didn't even know I had broken a bone. But they were understanding, this is a good, sporting environment, they didn't rush me to come back, I only played when I was fully recovered and now it's going well. Both for the team and for me personally."

Azerbaijan, along with Turkey, is the country where volleyball feels its best.

"Of all the countries I've been to, I choose Italy when it comes to life, and Azerbaijan and Turkey when it comes to volleyball. Although Baku is also fantastic for me outside of professional matters - a beautiful city, a little Istanbul, or little Dubai as everyone calls it, good restaurants, it's cheap. I've even gotten used to the winds - it really blows here," Danijela Džaković concludes with a smile.