For most Division-I athletes, playing at the collegiate level is an experience that’s not comparable to any other in their young athletic careers.
The competition is better, the practices are harder and the expectation to perform puts all sorts of pressure on the individual.
Those aren’t issues that concern Oregon women’s volleyball freshman setter Nevena Djordjevic and sophomore hitter Mira Djuric. The duo has been playing volleyball with each other since the age of 11 and are accustomed to high expectations after playing on Serbia’s national team for four years.
“When we started playing for the national team, (the level of play) was a lot harder than here,” Djuric said. “There was a lot more pressure since we played in the World Championships and the European Championships.”
Both say that since they were accustomed to playing at such a high level, they had an easier time transitioning to the collegiate atmosphere compared to the average freshman.
“We had a lot more experience before we came here than high school players,” Djordjevic said. “We went to some high school games here and it’s totally different.”
Djuric says it helps that she doesn’t put a lot of pressure on herself either. If she doesn’t succeed at this level, she can go back home and continue to play with whatever club team wants her, while American athletes can lose their scholarships if they do not perform well.
“The biggest issue here is that (American) players don’t have choices,” Djuric said. “If we don’t succeed here, we’re just going to go home and play volleyball for one of the clubs. It’s not a lot of pressure on us.”
Coach Jim Moore sought out both players while scouting the European leagues after being hired as Oregon’s coach. Both players fit into the type of team Moore wanted to build around.
“It’s pretty obvious what stood out about Mira. We needed somebody who could hit,” Moore said. “Nevena’s a very deceptive, good setter.”
For Moore, it took some time convincing Djuric to come to a program that had a long history of losing.
“She didn’t want to come to a place that was terrible,” Moore said. “We had to say ‘We’re going to get better.’ It took a little bit of a conversation to get her to come.”
While Djuric came to Oregon after Moore talked to her in Serbia, it didn’t take much effort from Djuric to convince her long-time teammate to follow her to the U.S.
“I told her she wouldn’t have better coaches, conditioning and facilities anywhere else,” Djuric said. “She wouldn’t play better volleyball anywhere else. This is the best conference in the States.”
Djordjevic was more focused on academics than athletics, however.
“I can’t play volleyball forever. I have to have some schooling,” Djordjevic said.
Djuric, though, believes her future is in volleyball – just not in America.
“When I finish school here I’ll go home and somewhere in Europe – like France, or something,” Djuric said. “I don’t want to stay here, I don’t like life here. I’m going home and have fun playing volleyball.”
The two frequently are subbed in together and have been dubbed the ‘Serbian Substitution’. Since the duo is accustomed to each other’s tendencies, Moore believes that the connection is instrumental to their success.
The Serbian Substitution will have to play to near perfection when Oregon (14-3 overall, 4-3 Pac-10) travels to Stanford (15-2, 6-1) and Cal (14-4, 3-4) this week.
“We expect to win at least one game,” Djuric said. “We have to play our brains out. We have to play the best game of our life to beat Stanford.”
The Ducks will face off against No. 8 Cal on Thursday and will play No. 3 Stanford Friday night.
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