By Grace Perechinsky, Contributing Writer
From the village of Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina, freshman Ante Zovko brings culture, talent and passion to the St. Bonaventure bubble. Medjugorje has produced the world’s number three men’s singles player Marin Cilic as well as one of the top 15 doubles players in the world Ivan Dodig. Now St. Bonaventure has it’s very own tennis player from Medjugorje.
Zovko has learned that having connections can go a long way, and he experienced this during his recruiting process. He talked to different coaches until he found the right fit for him.
“I knew the Virginia Tech coach, that happens to be good friends with [St. Bonaventure Tennis coach Michael Bates],” Zovko said.
“The Virginia Tech coach recommended St. Bonaventure to me, and everything fell into place from there,” Zovko said.
Bates saw potential in Zovko and immediately recruited him to the team.
“Ante was supposed to go to another school, but that kind of fell through, so a friend of mine recommended him to me. Within a week and a half we had him here at the school, so it was a quick process with him,” Bates said.
St. Bonaventure meets all of Zovko’s criteria, including a major he’s interested in and a small campus community.
“[It has] a great tennis team and being a Division I school [with] a great computer science department; it hasn’t disappointed so far,” Zovko stated.
Zovko gives a lot of credit to the supportive Bonaventure community he’s been surrounded with in making this transition easier. Without them the transition would have been much more difficult.
“St. Bonaventure made it super easy for me to come here and did all the paperwork because international exchanges can be time-consuming,” Zovko said.
Zovko said he also enjoys the welcoming feeling on campus.
“When I just got here I was sitting in the student lounge, and people would come up to me and talk, and that felt super good. It’s great to know I have people there to support me always.”
Being homesick can take a toll on many people, but for Zovko he keeps himself busy and tries not to think about different things that can ruin his concentration.
One of the biggest things Zovko has faced is the culture shock, specifically concerning the education systems.
“I can’t even put it into words, America is like, everything is there for you, it’s very convenient. Professors give you what you have to learn, in my country I have to find what I need to learn and then learn it,” Zovko said.
Playing at St. Bonaventure has improved Zovko’s level of play in many ways.
“The facilities are much better. When I played in my country, I had one court and one good player on my team. 10 to 11 good players, great coaches, all of the equipment. I feel like I’m improving my game because I get these opportunities here, and I want to take advantage of that,” Zovko said.
Zovko won a couple of national tournaments back at home, but he feels as though he is improving his game here much more by just playing every week than he did playing at home.
“The competition here is so good it makes you practice more,” Zovko said.
The tennis team has many foreign athletes, which has created a bond like no other with each player.
“I was pretty scared when I got here because I didn’t know anybody, but they help me to learn all of the different things, find the places I need to go. The [upperclassmen] ask how I’m doing and how I’m feeling. The greatest thing is knowing that you have someone to go to. It’s a great feeling,” Zovko expressed.
Bates sees a benefit with having a very diverse team, as he knows that it is very unique.
“Ante gets along really well, and having a lot of internationals on the team and knowing your teammates are far from home and so are you, can create a better relationship with each other,” said Bates.
Since the competition is difficult playing in the Atlantic 10, Zovko takes something he can learn from in every match that is played.
“I learn what I did wrong in the last match, and improve for the next one,” Zovko said.
Having some well-known professionals in your backyard can be a huge advantage for a player, most especially Zovko.
“I know a couple of professional players, they are from my country. We practice, and they talk about their experience. I learn from that because they eat, breathe and sleep tennis,” Zovko said.
For the season to come, Zovko said his main goal is to do well in the Atlantic 10 tournament.
“It’d be a major step forward for us because the first round you gain confidence,” Zovko said. “We try to see the different lineups and get ready for that. I feel our team is so good, we figure out the little details, and we’ll do good.”
With the experience Zovko has, he can be very dangerous competition in the Atlantic 10. The most important adjustment is learning how to be cohesive with his teammate in doubles play.
“Ante’s biggest focus is adjusting to the college experience, playing on a team and play ing doubles. Where he’s from, he has been playing singles his whole life,” said Bates.
Zovko wants to be remembered as an open and fun guy, not only to his teammates but the whole St. Bonaventure community.
