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Opening Weekend Match Notes
USF junior volleyball player Marta Cvitkovic misses her homeland — Rijeka, Croatia — which is glorious in the summertime. She misses being just a five-minute walk from the Adriatic Sea, where the water is crystal clear. She misses taking walks with her wolf-dog, Kali.
Of course, she misses her family, parents Denis and Maja, along with older brother, Dario.
"Leaving home was definitely sad and hard,'' Cvitkovic said. "But they know what I want. I do, too. I'm developing in all areas. I'm going to get a college degree. I'm playing high-level volleyball and I hope to keep playing for a long time. So, the decision to come to USF was a great one.''
Cvitkovic, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter, will again be a key performer for the Bulls, who open Friday, Aug. 26 by hosting William & Mary in the USF Opening Weekend Invitational. Cvitkovic was a first-team All-American Athletic Conference selection in the spring of 2021 during the COVID-shortened slate. She was a unanimous preseason All-AAC pick before the fall season.
"Marta is important to us,'' USF coach Jolene Shepardson said. "When she decided to come here, that was a major plus for our program.''
Cvitkovic's recruitment was anything but conventional.
Shepardson had just been hired. The long-distance connection was made. Cvitkovic was set to visit USF's campus.
Then COVID hit.
"It wasn't what I anticipated,'' Cvitkovic said. "But what can you do?''
"We couldn't watch her live because of the pandemic, but I got to know her very well,'' Shepardson said. "I felt her competitiveness through the phone. I felt she was all-business. It was true. She's incredibly organized, a serious-minded woman, a great student. I think this year, with more talent around her, Marta is really going to step up.''
Last season, Cvitkovic started in all 31 matches and led USF in kills (373), registering a season-high 23 against Memphis and finishing seventh in the AAC (3.19 kills per set). Additionally, she led the Bulls with 48 service aces and that also led the AAC (0.41 aces per set).
Next up: Improving a characteristic that can't be quantified.
Leadership.
"I just need to expand my talking range and be more open with everybody,'' Cvitkovic said. "I believe in setting a good example and working hard. But you do have to speak up and work with the younger players. I think I am (respected) and I want the other players to follow me.''
Between COVID, the shortened season and an injury plagued 2021, the Bulls have endured plenty of adversity during Shepardson's tenure. Cvitkovic said she's ready for a change in fortunes.
"A lot of ups and downs with different stuff mixed in the middle, that's for sure,'' Cvitkovic said. "It has been an interesting time. Some of it, we may never see again. A lot has been difficult and definitely not what we planned. But I saw improvement in the spring. We have more talent. I think things are going to start moving in our favor.''
Shepardson said she's excited about some changes in the program's infrastructure. Four AAC matches will be held in the Yuengling Center. Meanwhile, USF's primary home-court, the Corral, has a new TeraFlex surface that Shepardson called a "game-changer.''
"It's the best surface in the world for volleyball players,'' Shepardson said. "It cuts down on the wear-and-tear, helps your joints and your knees. Plus, it's very absorbent, so you don't see an abundance of sweat on the floor. It's just great quality and it's a major step forward for our program.''
Cvitkovic said she hopes her volleyball takes a major step forward as well. She would like to pursue a professional career following USF, maybe in Croatia, where her mother is director of operations for a bank, while her father is a shrimp-boat captain who sells his catches to restaurants.
"One day, maybe I'll be back at home,'' Cvitkovic said. "But while I'm at USF, I want to win and I want us to do big things. I think we have everything in place to go in the right direction.''
