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24 CAVALIER CORNER BY MIKE SCANDURA V irginia volleyball head coach Aaron Smith could have put up a stop sign when he heard that Jelena Novakovic wanted to transfer from Penn State to Virginia prior to the 2017 season. Why did Novakovic want to transfer? Did she come with any baggage? Smith did his due diligence and it paid off. A redshirt third-year from Belgrade, Serbia, Novakovic led the Cavaliers with 289 kills (an average of 2.89 per set) and also contributed 50 blocks last season. "There wasn't any reluctance," Smith said. "Having communicated with her on the phone and knowing what she wanted, I knew she would be a good fit for Virginia. "She values the academic side. The ac- ademic rigor at Virginia is even tougher. She wanted a stronger academic program, yet she really was focused on her volley- ball career. "I knew she would bring another level of intensity to our gym. I know the staff at Penn State — and you want to know you're bringing in the right person. The last thing you want is to bring in some- body who would create issues." In one sense, Novakovic look a leap of faith when deciding to transfer to Virginia. "She came here not knowing how com- petitive she would be and how she would fit in with the program," Smith said. "She immediately fit in. "She holds her teammates accountable when they're not playing up to their stan- dards. There's always something produc- tive coming out of her mouth." Novakovic had a specific reason why she wanted to leave Serbia, which is nearly 5,000 miles away, and come to the U.S. to play volleyball and obtain a qual- ity education. "It was a really tough decision," she said. "But I had full support from my parents and family. Back in Serbia it's hard to pursue a volleyball career and get a college degree at the same time. "The NCAA allowed me to do both. I could get my degree and be part of a Divi- sion I program. I wanted to do both, and this was a great opportunity for me that I didn't want to miss." As a result, her next stop was perennial power Penn State, where she redshirted as a freshman and appeared in only five sets in 2016. Eventually she was confronted with another decision: Stay in Happy Valley or transfer to another university where she would be a better fit. "Coming from Serbia to one of the best academic and volleyball programs at Penn State, I didn't know much about how everything worked and didn't visit other schools," Novakovic said. "After my second year I realized this wasn't the place for me. "I wanted to be part of a better academic university such as the University of Vir- ginia and one that also had a great vol- leyball program and coaches. I wanted to get a degree from a prestigious university." Novakovic packed a wealth of experi- ence in her suitcases: • She played for Red Star Belgrade, which earned a silver medal at the 2014 National Cup. • While playing for the Serbian Junior National Team, she earned gold medals at the European Championship with the U-19 team in 2014 and at the 2012 and 2014 Balkan Championship. • In 2013, she earned MVP honors at the U-17 International Belgrade Tournament and helped the team annex a silver medal in the European Youth Olympic Games. "Being able to play against the best volleyball players at my age helped me prepare for my training at the collegiate level and be able to make good decisions in tough situations," Novakovic said of the benefits of playing internationally. But being proficient at volleyball in Eu- rope and adapting to a new culture were two completely different situations. "English is my second language, I started learning it in first grade," she said. "But in a different country they don't speak the language [like I learned it], so it took time to adjust. I had great teammates that helped me out plus an academic advisor, tutors, coaches and people who were very sup- portive that I was an international student. "They were very welcoming and that made my transition process easier. Now, in my fourth year, I've adjusted well into the Virginia community. I'm glad that I had that outside perspective." Understandably, Novakovic feels there's room for improvement and is quick to deflect any praise she might re- ceive to those around her. "I give a lot of credit to my teammates," she said. "Our passers pass well to our setters. It's most important that we do well as a team especially compared with last year when we were really young." Smith even has a nickname for Nova- kovic: "Miss Reliable." "She was the player taking big swings at the end of matches," he said. "She's shown she's more prepared to embrace the role as the go-to attacker." GO-TO ATTACKER Serbia Native And Penn State Transfer Jelena Novakovic Is Leading The Way For UVA "I wanted to be part of a better academic university such as the University of Virginia and one that also had a great volleyball program and coaches. I wanted to get a degree from a prestigious university." NOVAKOVIC ON WHY SHE TRANSFERRED TO UVA