Category: Arts & Culture

NSU Volleyball, Rosen Strengthen 2021 Roster

 

After the postponement of the 2020 volleyball season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NSU volleyball team has its eyes set on a successful 2021 season, adding five newcomers to their roster. Joining the team for the upcoming season are Bruna Avila, Jovana Bulatovic, Jordan “JoJo” Chessar, Kate Mihacevich and Cambry Pope.

“Having our season cancelled this past year was hard, but also allowed us time in the gym to train and really figure out the needs of our team moving forward,” explained head coach Brian Rosen. “After one of the best seasons in program history in 2019 and ending the year on a six-game winning streak, we look ahead to the fall of 2021 with big goals in mind, and I could not be more excited about this incoming class that will be joining our Shark family in August. Each student athlete will not only add to our team’s ability to be successful in matches, but more importantly, add to the family culture that we have worked so hard to establish here at NSU both on and off the court. I think my favorite part about this year’s incoming class is the fact that each and every one of them wanted to be here so badly. Their passion for this university was clear from day one.”

Bruna Avila – University of South Carolina Upstate
Coming from Brazil to Daytona State College, Avila was named First Team All-Conference, AVCA All-Region, AVCA All-American, and the Roberta Stokes Award winner for the conference as the top student-athlete graduating with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Her success continued at NCAA DI member USC Upstate where she helped lead the Spartans to its second .500 or better season in program history. After sharing setting duties most of the season, she was moved into the full-time setting role with six matches to go, going on to win all six matches. As a Spartan, Avila averaged a Big South Conference-best 11.3 assists/set and had two double-doubles. She also finished third overall in the Big South in assists per set.

“Bruna may be one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, but she is a fierce competitor on the court,” said Rosen. “Bruna will be able to come in and instantly improve our offensive efficiency. She brings a tremendous amount of experience to a young positional group. I also love her ability to play defense as a setter. Her nonstop effort will fit in perfectly with our gym culture. I cannot wait to see what she helps us accomplish during her two years as a Shark.”

Jovana Bulatovic – Eastern Kentucky
As a sophomore in 2019 at Eastern Kentucky, Jovana played in all 30 of the Colonels’ matches and finished third on the team with 181 kills (1.8 per set) and second on the team with 58 blocks. In a COVID-shortened 2021 spring season, she once again finished third on the team in kills with 137 (2.6 per set) and had the second-best hitting percentage of .211. With several team injuries, Bulatovic did it all for the Colonels, playing outside, right side, and defense. She also plays for the EKU beach volleyball team.

“Jovana has a cannon for an arm and can play all over the court,” remarked Rosen. “Her head coach at EKU could not stop raving about the kind of teammate and leader she is, and how much she will add to our culture. Jovana is a point scorer and will be a huge help to our offense, but I also like that she can block at a high level too. With two years of eligibility left, Jovana will be able to make a big impact on our program.”

Jordan “JoJo” Chessar – Padua Franciscan HS
Chessar plays high school for one of the best programs in the country, ranking as high as number one in the MaxPreps 2020 poll. Her team finished state runner-up in 2019 and 2020, and she has been a huge impact player for them in the middle and right side. As a six-rotation right side her senior year, Chessar finished the season with 167 kills, 122 digs, a team best 39 aces, and 37 blocks, earning her a spot on the All-District Second Team. She also plays club volleyball for Cleveland Volleyball Company, and her team just finished third in the country at USAV Junior Nationals.

“JoJo was our very first commit in this class, and we fell in love with her instantly at camp. She has an infectious, positive attitude and our team knew right away that she was exactly what we were looking for. On the court, JoJo can do it all. I’ve watched her play outside, middle, right side, and defensive specialist. She has a great arm and can attack in front and behind. She will simply do anything that she is asked to do, and I know she is going to add so much to our program on and off the court the next four years.”

Kate Mihacevich – Padua Franciscan HS
Mihacevich, a high school teammate of Chessar, also played for the back-to-back Ohio state runner-up and MaxPreps No. 1-nationally ranked, Padua Bears. Mihacevich played all the way around on the outside in her senior year and finished the 2020 season as a Second Team All-District member with 206 kills, 145 digs, 38 blocks and 37 aces. Along with Chessar, Mihacevich was named AVCA All-American Watch List. She also just finished her club volleyball career on one of the best teams in the country, qualifying and competing in the open division at USAV Junior Nationals.

“Kate has a fast arm, plays high, and can score from both pins,” described Rosen. “I love that she has been able to train at such a high level through high school and club. She has been playing with and against the best players in the country which will prepare her well for our conference. This past summer at our high school camp, she really impressed our coaching staff, and solidified our interest when, at match point in a tight championship match, she absolutely exploded a swing on the outside. She continues to improve her backrow skills and I think she has a very bright future in our program.”

Cambry Pope – Lake Nona HS
Pope played for the second-best high school team in the state of Florida, Lake Nona, who fell in the FHSAA 7A State Championship match in five sets. She finished with an incredible 22 kills and 26 digs for the match. On the season, Pope finished with 286 kills (3.5 per set), 199 digs, and 27 aces. Her club team, Oviedo Volleyball Academy, qualified for USAV nationals and finished 13th overall.
“The fact that we were able to pick up a player as good as Cambry this late in the recruiting process was remarkable,” admitted Rosen. “She has great size and length that will fit in so well in our conference. Cambry has a great arm and can use the entire court. From her visit, we could tell that this is where she was meant to be. She jumped right in to being a part of the team before we even offered by writing her goals on our whiteboard and instantly connecting with our team. She’s already a solid player, but I think Cambry has such a high ceiling. We look forward to watching her grow and make an impact the next four years.”

Snita Named SSC Women’s Tennis Athlete of the Week

Officials from the Sunshine State Conference announced that NSU redshirt junior Karolina Snita has been named the Women’s Tennis Athlete of the Week after helping the No. 3 Sharks to a 2-0 start via wins over Tampa and No. 9 Saint Leo this past week.

An Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-American last season, Snita (Glowgow, Poland) doled out a pair of commanding victories in singles against the Spartans and Lions, including a win over Saint Leo’s 2020 All-American who ranked 19th out of the fall, Marta Vicens Miquel, 6-3, 6-0 at No. 2 singles – also topping UT’s Savannah Williams 6-2, 6-1 last Tuesday in NSU’s 7-0 win over the Spartans.

Snita paired with Diane Follin-Arbelet to top Vicens Miquel and Celina Ermann (6-2) in SLU doubles, followed by her first-to-finish singles victory, aiming the Sharks toward a hard-fought 5-2 triumph over the Lions for NSU’s first ranked win of the season.

“I’m very happy for Karo,” head coach Doug Neagle said. “She works so hard on and off the court, and is definitely deserving of this award. She set the tone against Saint Leo with decisive doubles and singles wins.”

This is Snita’s first weekly award of the year and the second of her career.

The Sharks (2-0) make their debut at home on the courts at the NSU Tennis Center at Rolling Hills, kicking off four consecutive home matches. On Saturday, March 13, the Sharks will host Rollins (0-0) at 2:00 p.m.

Read more here.

NSU Places 74 Student-Athletes on Fall SSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll 

In its 2020 Fall Commissioner’s Honor Roll presented by Barnes & Noble College released on Monday, the Sunshine State Conference recognized 752 student-athletes from across the league, including 74 from Nova Southeastern University. The Sharks also had 12 student-athletes earn a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Again with a record-setting count of 752 named to the Fall 2020 list, 193 carried a 4.00 for the Fall semester across the conference. The total breaks last year’s 713 and is the eighth consecutive record-setting Fall for the SSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll. (FULL STORY)

Six Weeks, Six Stops, Six Giveaways – One Shark Family Scavenger Hunt!

NSU’s Athletic Department is proud to announce the inaugural One Shark Family Scavenger Hunt starting on March 1, 2021. This exciting activity is open to all NSU supporters, students, faculty/staff and alumni.

NSU is thrilled to offer an engaging way to bring the community together as #OneSharkFamily. Participants are invited to stop by select local vendors as they are featured for one week at a time from March 1, 2021 – April 9, 2021 to pick-up limited-edition Sharks gear and also a special promotion unique to each vendor.(FULL STORY)

Alexandria Palm Named to SSC Cross Country All-Decade First Team

Palm was a four-time All-SSC honoree for NSU and won the league title in 2012, 2013

 As voted upon by league administrators and head coaches, former Nova Southeastern University cross country and track star Alexandria Palm has been officially named as a first-team member of the Sunshine State Conference Women’s Cross Country All-Decade Team on Monday, January 25.

Originally out of Winnebago, Illinois, Palm was one of the most prolific women’s distance runners in NSU’s history and held a firm command in the conference during the early part of the decade. She was not only on the Sunshine State Conference All-Championship Team each year, but also an All-SSC First Team honoree each year of her career at NSU (2010-13) – earning SSC Runner of the Year in 2013. In addition, Palm collected USTFCCCA (US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association) All-Region honors following all four seasons under head coach Bryan Hagopian.

“I graduated seven years ago and still fondly cherish all my memories, and am so grateful for my experiences at Nova Southeastern University,” Palm said. “Some of the best times of my life could not be possible without NSU, Coach Hagopian, and the support of the athletic department. However, I would not have become that accomplished athlete and student without the drive and support of my wonderful parents.”

For Complete Release: CLICK HERE

 

NSU Alum Richard Mansell Ready to Become European Tour Regular

 

Come next year, expect to see plenty of Richard Mansell on the Golf Channel. Just over three years removed from his playing days at Nova Southeastern, the former national champion and three-time All-American recently finished the season ranked fourth on the Challenge Tour, and as a result, has been given exemption to compete in 75 percent of the European Tour’s events in 2021.  (FULL STORY)

 

Sunshine State Conference Announces Update Regarding Fall and Winter Sports

Due to the challenges presented by the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, the Sunshine State Conference Presidents Council has decided to cancel conference competition and championships for the fall sports of soccer and volleyball and for the winter sport of swimming during the 2020-21 academic year. Conference institutions may practice and compete in these sports during the spring 2021 semester as a matter of institutional discretion. In the fall sport of cross country, which is a low transmission risk sport as defined by the NCAA, the SSC intends to conduct a conference championship season during the spring 2021 semester, with no overnight travel and competition against conference teams only, provided health and safety conditions support such activity.

(FULL STORY)

1 … 3 4 5 6 7 … 28