Marija Vojnovic has burst onto the scene in her second season as a Viking. She currently leads Portland State with 3.36 kills per game and sits second on the squad in digs, averaging 3.28 per contest. The Serbian sophomore also leads the Vikings with 14 double-doubles, accruing double-digits kills and digs in a match, and is third in the Big Sky in that category.
The Vanguard recently caught up with the rising star.
Why did you come to Portland State?I was a foreign-exchange student at Gresham High School my senior year, and after that I went back home to Serbia. I never planned on this, but [head] coach [Michael] Seemann got me to come here and play volleyball. I wanted to play and go to college, and since I knew some people here it would make the transition easier.
What was your best moment on the court?I played on the 20-and-under team in Serbia in 2002 and 2003, and I was named the MVP of that team. We played in the championship match against a team called Jedinstvo Vzice. This was back when we were actually Serbia-Montenegro. It was pretty amazing.
If you could change one thing about volleyball, what would you change?I would want a big screen television in the gym, and it would show all the replays of the game, in slow-mo, and when there was a close call you would be able to see it.
What is your greatest strength? I think that I am very outgoing. It might not be that unusual here, but in Serbia it is uncommon for us to move to another country and leave everything we know. Even though I know I am going back, and I don’t regret being here, I think that this is different than other people.
What was your favorite toy as a child? I had this pink power-ranger costume, and I wore it all the time to school, and everywhere. Pink is my favorite color.
What is the last thing you cooked? Actually, last night Nique [Dominique Fradella] and I made mashed potatoes and pasta. I ate mine with cream cheese. I eat cream cheese with everything.
What cooking method best describes you? I would say boiling, because it is so full of energy, the bubbles and everything. That’s how I am.
What is your favorite place to eat on campus or in Portland? Well, I am getting pretty tired of Chipotle, but lately we have been going to Macaroni Grill, especially for dessert.
What person/people would you take a bullet for? My brother, that’s it.
What is your favorite thing to do in Portland? My favorite thing to do is to go shopping. Whenever we have a day off, we always go to Nordstrom Rack and I get at least one pair of shoes. I have a closet full of them.
Do you have any unique training methods? I really like to run. In Serbia we run more than here, including jogging for 10 minutes before every game and practice.
What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? I would buy my brother a new motorcycle, and then I would take my boyfriend to Spain.
Do you have any hidden talents? I really like to draw and paint, although I don’t get to do it too much now because we are so busy.
What is your most embarrassing moment on the court? Last year, I wasn’t playing as much, and I would always get really nervous every time that I was in. One time I realized that we had seven players on the court, and I was the one who had been supposed to come out. I was pretty embarrassed.
How many text messages are in your inbox? A lot. I text more than I talk, and that is why my bill is so high. I text my brother back at home. I probably have 50 texts.
I have a low tolerance for _____?I don’t really like tattletales. I would never tell the teacher on somebody. I just stay out of something when it’s not really my business.
Do you read The Vanguard? If so, how often? Sometimes. I usually read it once a week or so.