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Marija Popovic

Position:
Defensive Specialist/Libero
Height:
5-5
Class:
Senior
High School:
Sports Grammar School Belgrade
Hometown:
Belgrade, Serbia
Prev School:
Pittsburgh/ETSU

Awards and Honors
AVCA All-Midwest Region Team (2021) ... Big 12 Libero of the Year (2021) ... All-Big 12 First Team (2021) ... Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (2021: Sept. 1, Oct. 12) ... Cyclone Challenge All-Tournament Team (2021) ... SoCon Libero of the Year (2017, 2018) … All-SoCon First Team (2018, 2019) … SoCon Freshman of the Year (2017) … SoCon All-Freshman Team (2017) … six-time SoCon Defensive Player of the Week … three-time SoCon Defensive Player of the Month ... Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll (Fall 2021)

2021 (Waiver Season)
Played in 82 sets across 23 matches, being Iowa State’s starting libero in her 23 matches … led the Cyclones with 374 digs at 4.56 per set … was in double figures for digs in 22 matches, finishing at least 20 digs on seven occasions … recorded season-best 27 digs twice: at Texas Tech (Oct. 7) and vs. West Virginia (Oct. 29) … two 27-dig matches were part of a run of three-straight 20-dig matches, also getting 23 at Texas Tech (Oct. 8) … recorded 23 digs vs. TCU (Sept. 25) … had 22 digs against Ball State (Sept. 10) … posted 21 digs in three-set match vs. St. Thomas (Sept. 17) … Ranked second on Iowa State with 79 assist, recording season-best nine against Ball State (Sept. 10) … had at least five assists on six occasions across the season … was fourth on Cyclones with 15 services aces, recording season-best three at UNI (Sept. 15) … had two aces against TCU (Sept. 25), vs. West Virginia (Oct. 29) and vs. Kansas State (Nov. 11).

2020 (Senior – Pittsburgh)
Played in 48 sets across 20 matches, making eight starts … finished with 113 digs at 2.35 per set, recording double figures four times … posted season-best 21 digs at Notre Dame on Oct. 18 … had 16 digs in first match vs. Fighting Irish on Oct. 16 … recorded 18 digs against Louisville (Oct. 25) … posted 26 assists on season, notching season-best five against Boston College on Oct. 10 … recorded both service aces of season against BC on Oct. 9.

2019 (Junior – ETSU)
Played in 107 sets across 28 matches, making 22 starts for the Bucs … finished season with 477 digs at 4.45 per set … was in double figures for digs in 24 matches, and finished with over 20 digs 10 times … posted season-best 29 digs against Western Carolina (Nov. 13) … had a run of three-straight matches with at least 20 digs: getting 22 vs. Wofford (Oct. 11), 24 vs. The Citadel (Oct. 12) and 22 at WCU (Oct. 16) … posted 27 aces on the season, recording career-high four in Southern Conference Semifinals against Mercer … had 10 matches with at least two aces … posted 122 assists on the season, getting eight twice at Western Carolina (Oct. 16) and vs. Chattanooga (Nov. 2).

2018 (Sophomore – ETSU)
Started at libero in all 35 matches and played in all 125 sets for ETSU, helping lead the Bucs to the NCAA Volleyball Championship … ranked 15th in NCAA Division I with 648 total digs on the season … finished in double figures in 32 matches, going above 20 digs 16 times … recorded career-high 37 digs against High Point (Oct. 9), the most digs by a SoCon player in 2018 … had two other 30-dig matches: 33 vs. Samford (Sept. 28) and 32 at Samford (Oct. 27) … recorded 27 digs in four-set win over Coastal Carolina … recorded 28 aces on the season, notching four at Mercer on Oct. 12 … posted at least two aces in nine matches … finished season with 148 assists … had double-double with 10 assists and 11 digs at South Carolina on Aug. 24 … notched nine assists in SoCon Tournament Championship match vs. Samford.

2017 (Freshman – ETSU)
Played in 99 sets across 28 matches, helping lead ETSU to the NCAA Volleyball Championship … recorded 480 digs on the season, recording double figures 23 times … had back-to-back 34 dig matches at UNC-Greensboro (Oct. 20) and at Western Carolina (Oct. 22) … was part of a five-match run where she was over 20 digs in each matches, including 28 in a three-set sweep of Furman … had 21 digs in SoCon Championship match against Western Carolina … finished in double figures for digs in the final 17 matches of the season … recorded 101 assists on the season, getting season-best nine at Mercer (Nov. 4) … posted six aces on season.

Personal
Born on Aug. 20, 1996 in Loznica, Serbia … nickname is “Popche” (pop-CHAY) … daughter of Milovan and Svetlana Popovic … received Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Architecture at Pittsburgh and is currently in the Graduate program for Information Systems and Business Analytics