Jay Daubenberger
Liberal, Kansas – After leading the Lady Saints in kills in her only season with Seward County, sophomore Dora Filipovic will be taking her talents to the Empire State after signing her National Letter of Intent to play for the University at Albany to continue both her athletic and academic career at the four-year level.
Filipovic was a force on the court no matter where she was as she led the Lady Saints in kills with 262 and averaged 3.01 kills per set through 87 sets played. Through her sophomore campaign she also recorded 203 digs, 23 service aces, and 23 blocks while helping her team to a 13-17 overall record that had a strong start, winning seven of their first ten games. Filipovic reached double figure kills in thirteen games with her topping 20+ in back-to-back games to start September when she scored 22 kills in a five-set match at Hutchinson before scoring a career high of 27 in a five-set win over Garden City at home. On the defensive side she was able to help keep the ball off the ground with ten games of 10+ digs including a stretch of seven straight led by a 19-dig game against Colby to start Jayhawk conference action followed by back-to-back games of 16 digs against Hutchinson and Garden City.
“I am very thankful for the opportunity coach Wilson gave me by bringing me to Seward” said Filipovic. “She has taught me so much about myself as a player and a person and improved my volleyball level tremendously. I am also very grateful for the wonderful friendships Seward has given me and I wish my girls a great season next year. Even though I only spent one year at Seward, I have made memories I will cherish forever.”
She will head up to Albany, New York to join a Great Danes program looking to bounce back after a rough season in 2023 where they went 7-18 overall on the year with a conference record of 2-7 in the American East. U Albany started strong with a Power-5 win over Syracuse with a 3-0 sweep, but suffered loss after loss in a six-game losing streak that derailed their season early on. Filipovic will be looked upon as a veteran presence that can help drastically offensively with her powerful swing to get the Great Danes ahead on the board early on.
“Dora was great on and off the court for us this year. Her offensive presence is something we really depended on throughout the season” said Head Coach Aubrey Wilson. “She is always willing to improve and a very coachable young lady. Her determination on the court and in the classroom is something we strive for all our athletes and will be missed. I can’t wait to see the great things she does on and off the court at U Albany, as well as all her future endeavors.”