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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - Andjelija Draskovic is a graduate setter on the Florida State volleyball team. She left home at eleven years old to pursue her dream, and she’s never looked back.
”I had to take myself to school everyday,” she said. “I had to go to the practice. I knew if I wanted something bigger later in life with volleyball, I have to go. I have to leave.”
The Serbian born setter for the Florida State volleyball team knew her goals at an early age, which is why at eleven years old, Draskovic left her small hometown to play for a club team in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.
”They’re going there because they’re trying to train them up for the national team program,” said Florida State head volleyball coach Chris Poole.
”Every single challenge made me stronger and made me into the person I am today,” she added.
Her journey was just beginning, knowing little English, as her dreams grew bigger, she came to America.
“I would go to classes, sit in the classroom, I didn’t understand one word.”
But Draskovic worked, and after two years of junior college and a year at Maryland Baltimore-County, she landed in Tallahassee last season.
“When someone tells me you can’t do this, I’m going to go there and prove to you that I can.”
“Things that she had to go through, adversity she had to go through is what has made her a very competitive player at this level,” said Poole.
When it comes to the court, volleyball is a language everyone understands.
“This was my dream, and when you get a chance to live your dream, it’s a huge thing,” said Draskovic. “This is all I ever wanted.”
A dream that started in Serbia, at eleven years old. Draskovic and the Seminoles kick off the 2023 season Friday against Western Carolina at a tournament in Athens.
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