I don’t usually repost press release copy from universities, but I’m making an exception today. Because it’s a shame not more people know about Edina Begic, the UALR volleyball star who likely just pulled off this year’s single most dominant individual season in all Arkansas college team sports. You’ll read about some of all the amazing things she achieved below, but what I find most stupendous is the fact that the Bosnian she received a Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week award seven times this fall – including one historic stretch of five such honors in a row.
After another record-breaking year that saw her finish third in the nation with 5.11 kills per set, Begic was this week named to the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association All-Region Team for the Southwest Region. Begic is UALR’s first volleyball player to achieve this honor.
The junior outside hitter, who is now eligible to be named an All-American, topped the Sun Belt Conference in kills per set and points per set and was named its Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. She was also third in the country with 5.83 points per set. Begic is the first player in conference history to win Freshman of the Year followed with a pair of Offensive Player of the Year awards. She is only the the third Trojan to win Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player, joining Barbara Gomez (1997) and Tanja Radovic (2000).
Behind Begic’s offensive prowess, the Trojans took the No. 2 seed into last month’s Sun Belt Conference Tournament and held a 12-6 record in Sun Belt play along with an 8-5 mark in non-conference games. Begic set multiple school records this season, shattering the record for kills in a match with 36 kills in only four sets against Arkansas State on Oct. 2. In that match she had 16 kills in the fourth set alone and hit .517 for the match.
Against Georgia State on Nov. 8, Begic broke the school record for kills in a season and currently ended the campaign with 634 kills.
Milanovic has put up impressive numbers herself this season. She was the first Trojan to break the 30+ kills in a match barrier, matching the- then school record for kills in a match (34) against Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Sept. 7. She is second on the team with nine double-doubles for the season, including her first match in a Trojan uniform against Southeast Missouri State on Aug. 31 (22 digs, 17 kills). Besides being second in kills per set in the SBC, Milanovic sits ninth in both aces (0.24 per set) and hitting percentage (.282).
Begic is the third player to win Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year for UALR, joining Barbara Gomez (1997) and Tanja Radovic (2000). A Trojan has been selected All-Conference 35 times. Finally, Begic broke the school record for kills per set in a match on Oct. 25 against Troy, tallying 28 kills in only three sets (9.33 kills per set).
All-America teams will be announced on Dec. 18.
While Begic may end up being the first UALR All-American volleyball player, there’s a chance the second is already playing by her side. Sophomore Sonia Milanovic paired with Begic to make up the nation’s top spiking duo. She was the first Trojan to break the 30+ kills in a match barrier, matching the- then school record for kills in a match (34) against Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Sept. 7. She finished second in kills per set in the Sun Belt with 3.99 kills per set. That’s 41st in the nation.
Congrats, Edina and Sonia. I hope you lead UALR to a season for the ages in 2014.
[Check out photographer Jim Hilton’s other superb sports photographs here]
