Marija Popovic

Height:
5-5
Class:
Senior
High School:
Sports Grammar School Belgrade
Hometown:
Belgrade, Serbia
Prev School:
ETSU

AS A SENIOR (2020-21)
Part of the Panthers’ longest NCAA Tournament run in program history, reaching the Elite Eight as the final unseeded team in the field … Helped Pitt secure its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance … Appeared in 20 matches, starting eight … Picked up a season-best 21 digs at No. 5 Notre Dame (Oct. 18) … Averaged 2.35 digs per set, ranking fourth on the team … Posted a season-best two service aces against Boston College (Oct. 9) … Followed up that performance with five assists in the next match against the Eagles (Oct. 10).

AT ETSU (2017-19)

Career Highlights
2x SoCon Libero of the Year (2017, 2018)
2x All-SoCon First Team (2018, 2019)
SoCon Freshman of the Year (2017)

AS A JUNIOR (2019)
Played in 28 matches...started in 22... recorded 20+ digs in 10 matches and surpassed the mark of 1,500 vs Western Carolina on Nov. 13...logged season-best 29 digs in that match...averaged 4.46 digs per set, good for second in the SoCon...logged double-digit digs in all but three matches...tied career-high with four aces in SoCon Semifinals vs Mercer (Nov. 23)...ranked fourth in program history with 4.46 digs per set...named to SoCon All-Preseason Team...SoCon Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 21)...Jacksonville State All-Tournament Team...All-SoCon First Team selection.

AS A SOPHOMORE (2018)
Played and started in all 35 matches…Appeared in 125 matches…Recorded double digit digs in all but three matches…Finished the season with a 5.18 dig per set average and a 1.19 assist per set average…Finished the season ranked 15^th in the nation in total digs and 32^nd in the nation in digs per set…Recorded a season and career-high 37 digs vs. High Point (Oct. 9)…Registered a career-high four service aces at Mercer (Oct. 12)...Had a career-high ten assists vs. South Carolina (Aug. 24)…Recorded a double-double vs. South Carolina (Aug. 25) finishing with 10 assists and 11 digs...Tallied 30 or more digs in three matches…Tallied 20 or more digs in 13 matches…Recorded 1,000 career digs at Samford (Oct. 27)...Finished second in the SoCon in digs per set...Ranked third in ETSU program history with 5.18 digs per set in a single season...Led the Bucs in digs in 32 matches...Led the Bucs in aces in 12 matches…Named to the Preseason All-SoCon Team…Named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Week three times on Sept. 3, Oct. 1, and Ot. 29…Named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Month in both September and October….Named to the All SoCon First Team…Named the Libero of the Year for the second straight season.

AS A FRESHMAN (2017)
Appeared in 99 sets for the Bucs…registered a career-high 34 digs in back-to-back matches (UNCG 10/20 & WCU 10/22)…finished with 480 teams (first on the team) and 101 assists…recorded a career-high nine assists vs. Mercer (11/4)…recorded double-digit digs in all but four matches…had eight matches where she recorded 20 or more digs and three matches where she recorded 30 or more digs…led the SoCon in digs per set (5.52) and in digs (320)…earned back-to-back SoCon Player of the Weeks awards (10/23 & 10/30)…named the October Defensive Player of the Month…earned a spot on the SoCon All-Freshman team, while being named the Libero of the Year and the Freshman of the Year.

PERSONAL
Born August 20, 1996 in Loznica, Serbia...Nickname is “Popche,” pronounced “POP-chay”…Daughter of Milovan and Svetlana Popovic...Majoring in Interior Architecture...Came to play in the United States because in Serbia it is impossible to play volleyball collegiately while pursuing a degree…Also played soccer, basketball, tennis, and handball at the Sports Grammar School in Belgrade...Named the best junior libero in Serbia...Named the best libero at super league in Serbia.