Nevena Vukomanovich is hoping to head to Europe, but not before she makes a stop in St. Paul.
The North St. Paul senior dreams of playing volleyball in her home country of Serbia after college but isn’t looking too far ahead in her future. She is keeping her focus on her immediate goal of getting the Polars to the state tournament before she graduates from high school.
North St. Paul completed another leg on its journey to the tourney, defeating Metro East Conference rival Hill-Murray 25-13, 25-14, 25-22 Thursday to improve to 13-0 overall and 6-0 in league play.
“We’re on the right track,” Vukomanovich said. “We’re working together as a cohesive unit and we play for each other and that’s the most important thing.”
The outside hitter had 13 kills in the victory for the Polars, ranked No. 7 in the in the Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association’s Class 3A poll.
North St. Paul played another rival on Tuesday, taking down Tartan 25-23, 25-19, 25-11 to make this one of the most difficult weeks of the season for Vukomanovich and her teammates.
“It’s been a tough week rivalry-wise and I think we pulled together and decided to come in here and play at our best,” Vukomanovich said.
The Polars must continue playing at their best because opponents are going to be motivated to end North St. Paul’s undefeated streak and knock off a top-ranked team, Vukomanovich said.
However, she isn’t concerned her team will buckle under the pressure.
“I think that since we have so much experience in club (volleyball) on this team and with each other, we can handle that,” Vukomanovich said.
Vukomanovich has shown she can handle anything thrown at her with confidence.
When the Titans wore cornrows to mock Vukomanovich, who often wears cornrows, she simply responded on her Twitter account with the message: So glad you like my swag #cornrows.
The senior’s composure and fire is a big reason for the Polars’ success, head coach Steve Anderson said.
“She brings, and she has for the last four years, the intensity and passion,” he added. “When she’s going, it just energizes the whole team. She’s a powerful piece to the puzzle when she can bring that energy she brought that tonight.”
Vukomanovich plans to join another winning team after high school, playing volleyball at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
“It’s just the perfect fit,” she said. “I just felt right at home. The coaches are amazing. The players are so welcoming. I love the style of play that they have and feel like they’re going to be a successful team.”
Vukomanovich hopes to play in Europe when her Mavericks’ career is complete.
“That’s the dream, that’s the dream,” she said.
Vukomanovish also wants her future plans to include a trip to the Minnesota state volleyball tournament.
Anderson said he is making sure Vukomanovich and the rest of the team team don’t forget to focus on the present.
“We’ll worry about our next game on Tuesday and not get too ahead of ourselves,” he said.
