In March of last year, members of the Hofstra University volleyball team made their way to Washington, D.C., to watch the men’s basketball team win its first conference championship since 2001. Elation quickly turned to a world of unknown, as COVID-19 brought sports to a standstill and drastically altered the lives of student-athletes.
“We came back from Washington early in the morning. The day after, we went to lift and practice, and they told us we were done,” said Ana Martinovic, Hofstra volleyball senior.
Martinovic’s volleyball career began when she was five years old. At 14, she won the national championship with Serbia in her first year playing for the team. She was a team captain and named MVP of the National Championship of Serbia U15. After watching her older sister leave Serbia to pursue volleyball and an education in the United States, Martinovic did the same. She lists winning the 2018 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championship with Hofstra among her proudest career moments.
“The feeling of winning the conference, going to the NCAA tournament and playing [University of] Nebraska … it was crazy,” Martinovic said.
Despite her years of accomplishments up to this point, Martinovic still itches to get out on the court. When the NCAA granted an additional year of eligibility to fall sport student-athletes in the wake of the pandemic, it was a no brainer.
“I just love the game,” Martinovic said. “When they told me I had the chance to play one more year, I immediately took it because I just love it.”
The blanket waiver approved by the NCAA Division I Council allowed Martinovic to compete this season, which was originally her redshirt year.
“It was great news for me because I could play this year, as I did, and still get an extra year,” Martinovic said. “Also, for a lot of other students who didn’t get to finish their college career the right way … I was really happy for them as well.”
Roughly 4,500 miles away from her hometown, Martinovic was unable to visit her family for a year and a half due to COVID-19 restrictions. While she misses family and friends back home, she believes the opportunities that come with an additional year at Hofstra are worth it.
“This whole experience offers so many opportunities,” Martinovic said. “[My family] knows that getting a master’s degree is something special.”
Martinovic said her parents got used to having a daughter far away from home when her sister transferred to different schools around the U.S. before ultimately landing at Utah Valley University.
“College lasts just four or five years,” Martinovic said. “My sister always tells me how much she misses it. I want to take advantage of my time.”
As Martinovic prepares for her final year at Hofstra, she cites her role as team captain as something she especially looks forward to continuing.
“I’ve been focusing on the younger people even more than myself,” Martinovic said. “I want them to understand that whatever they do, they should do it the right way and not give up.”
Martinovic’s position of leadership with the team has allowed her to connect sports to academics in her pursuit of a human resources management degree.
“I love working with people,” Martinovic said. “Being on a team and being a captain is extremely helpful for me because at my internship, I can relate sports to companies and organizations.”
During her final year of eligibility, Martinovic will be pursuing a master’s degree in business analytics to accompany her undergraduate degree in HR. On the court, her goal remains the same: winning another CAA championship.
“We are definitely going for a ring,” Martinovic said. “There is a lot of work that needs to be done, but I would love to finish my college career and probably volleyball career that way. Everyone deserves to feel that championship ring and all those emotions that come along with going to the NCAA tournament.”
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
