One Gannon University volleyball player spent more than two full days traveling from her home country to Erie.

Another player broke her wrist snowboarding last spring and didn't even know if she would play.

A third athlete considered Gannon her "last chance" to play at a four-year university and didn't even meet the Gannon coach until mid-June.

The volleyball program's six international athletes have found a variety of paths to the Gannon campus, and several have overcome adversity along the way.

Gannon's roster has a record six international players from five countries, including four new players this season. That mix of young women from different backgrounds is something that makes this team different from any squad Matt Darling has coached during his 16-year career at Gannon. Darling, the American-born players, and GU's international athletes agree that the blend of talent and cultures has been invaluable to the team.

The team is now in Seattle on the brink of playing in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight after winning the PSAC and Atlantic Regional championships in a whirlwind two weekends at GU's Highmark Events Center. (The Golden Knights open Thursday at 8 p.m. EST against Cal State LA.)

The international players have played an integral role in Gannon's success to this point.

 

Maggie Greenfield, a middle blocker from Woodstock, Ontario, is in the last of her five seasons with the team. She's a two-time All-PSAC performer.

Lara Toruner, a defensive specialist from Istanbul, Turkey, is in her third season with the team and has made a big impact defensively and as a server.

Bengisu Arslan, a freshman setter from Ankara, Turkey, has been a critical addition to the team. She already ranks seventh on Gannon's single-season list with 1230 assists, and she has been selected as the PSAC West Freshman of the Year and American Volleyball Coaches Association Atlantic Region Freshman of the Year. On Wednesday, the AVCA named her an All-American.

Anja Vranic, a redshirt sophomore defensive specialist from Belgrade, Serbia, has played an instrumental role on Gannon's back row. She has excelled defensively and in serve receive while establishing herself as one of GU's top servers.

Marta Roicka, a redshirt sophomore from Warsaw, Poland, and Marieke Zink, a senior from Muenster, Germany, have both played setter in key moments of their first Gannon season and have served well during spot duty.

Although international players have made a dramatic impact on the court, Darling said the mix of players and cultures have also
served as a valuable learning experience for all involved.

 

Many different routes to Erie

Darling added four European players to the roster before the season, giving him six players from other countries for the first time in his career. That blend, he said, has been beneficial for all involved.

The international players say that both Gannon University, as a whole, and their teammates have made them feel welcomed. The coaches and American players say that it's been a joy to spend time with athletes from other cultures while learning about them and their backgrounds.

"Anytime you're around a lot of international people – this is what I love about international travel with teams, and this is why I like taking students on these trips – you just get a little different worldview," Darling said.

The four new players reached Erie in a variety of ways with varying degrees of difficulty.

Darling recruited Arslan through a network of contacts he has cultivated overseas. After she committed to Gannon, she went through a travel nightmare to even reach GU's campus. Due to a series of delays at airports and missed connections, she spent 50 hours trekking from her home in Turkey to Erie.

Arslan dealt with other kinds of anxiety, too.

"Before I came here, I was so nervous because I didn't have any experience with the language. It was my first time living far from my home, and I was so nervous," she said. "I don't feel nervous now because after I met with them, we became friends so quick. They're more than a team; they're like family. I love to be here.

"I don't feel homesick because everyone is so kind to me."

Darling said Arslan and the GU program are a good match for each other.

"We tried to get a couple of other players over the years and didn't, but you build those relationships and try to find players who are a good fit for your program," Darling said. "We definitely had a good one with Bengisu. She's a great talent obviously, but I also think this is the right program for her too."

Vranic and Roicka both had played in the United States previously at junior colleges. Vranic competed at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa. Roicka played at North Central Texas Academy as a senior in high school and then joined Colby Community College in Kansas.

Vranic was still trying to find a place to complete her college career during this past summer when she encountered Darling for the first time. She considered Gannon possibly her "last chance" at landing with a four-year school.
 

"We didn't even know each other until June," Darling said. "We had an open spot, and I was hoping to bring in a little more ball control. I saw a video, and said, 'This is the kid.' I talked to her and loved her personality."

"I came here mostly for the school but then the volleyball also," Vranic said. "Playing with the girls who are from other nations and sharing the court with girls from other cultures and the different type of volleyball is just amazing."

Roicka said she felt an instant connection with Gannon and the team.
 
"The atmosphere here is definitely very homey, very welcoming, very friendly," she said. "When I came here for a visit, I knew it was the place for me because the girls were so welcoming and warm, and also the coaches were amazing."

Toruner joined the team three years ago and has steadily made more of an impact on the court. She ranks among the GU season leaders in digs.

"Lara is in her third season with us, and I just can't say enough about how far she has come in those two years," Darling said. "For a couple of years, I think she was just learning the system. She's been absolutely just a godsend for this team because of her ability to serve receive and play her defensive position."

"When I first got here, it was so hard for me. I was the only international (European student). We had Maggie from Canada," Toruner said. "It was definitely difficult for me, but then over the years, I've made so many friends, they're like my family, especially this year. This is like my home right now; they are like my family. It's so easy now."

Zink's status is slightly different from the other international players. She is an exchange student who already was coming to Gannon.

"I texted the coach and asked him if I could practice with them," she said. "I kind of ended up practicing and playing, and I love it so far."

Zink will return to her German university after this semester.

Other European students have had the challenge of learning English upon their arrival in the U.S. Zink, on the other hand, speaks fluent English after learning the language beginning in grade school.

However, Zink faced a health issue before she could play for Gannon. An avid skier, she tried snowboarding for the first time in April. She fell, broke her wrist, and had surgery to place a plate in the joint. That caused her to miss potential playing time early in the season. However, she has made a positive impact on the occasions when she has been inserted into the lineup.

"I'm really excited and thankful for the coach that he gave me the opportunity to still play," she said. "It's really great to be on the court for the team; they're all very supportive."

Greenfield is the team's only international player who's not from Europe. The Canadian citizen has established herself among the leaders on the team since joining the Golden Knights before the 2018 season. She is one of two seniors on the team, along with middle blocker Sophia Glabus.

Americans savor new connections

Darling said his team's international connections grew, unexpectedly, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Coaches were unable to scout in person the way they had in the past.

"We were not really able to go out and recruit domestically. We just didn't have a lot of people in our 2022 database," he said. "Once we burned through those possibilities, we just didn't know who else was available, so we started looking at some JUCOs and international students."
 

A widened recruiting network that grew out of necessity has become a positive development for the program. The international players and the American players have benefitted from each other off the court.

"I like learning about different cultures, so I think it's fun to have so many different people," said sophomore Hailey Koch, a right side from Littleton, Colorado. "Of course, we talk about volleyball; how could you not? But it's fun to learn about where they're from, what the weather's like and what they've experienced."

"I don't know how much they talk about politics and human rights and those types of things," Darling said, "but I think that any time those types of conversations pop up, that's another learning moment for the players on both sides."

Sophomore defensive specialist Delaney Thomas grew up in the Pittsburgh area and attended Bethel Park High School. She had not had a lot of exposure to peers from other nations before coming to Gannon.

"It's a lot different from what I'm used to because I haven't grown up with much different culture experience other than my own," she said. "So, it's cool to see how everyone adapts in their own way. It just brings a lot to the program."

As close as they were during the season, the Golden Knights' friendships have only strengthened as Gannon has progressed through the postseason. They have grown closer after playing in tense situations while competing for PSAC and Atlantic Region championships on their home court in front of loud crowds. They also have felt the support of Gannon students at the big matches, including many cheering athletes from other Gannon programs.

"It was so awesome," Roicka said of the crowd at the Atlantic Regional championship. "I've never really played in an environment that crazy before, and having everyone cheering for you and supporting you is just awesome."

Vranic said her GU teammates have come together and found a way to overcome adversity, especially during the team's current 17-match winning streak.

"The girls, when they're on the court, even if you are losing or winning, our energy is just like always high," Vranic said, "and that's why I love playing with these girls."

The European players said they have also built a special bond with each other.

"We have six international athletes from five different countries," Arslan said. "It doesn't feel like we're from different countries because we are always doing some stuff together."
 

"It's nice not to feel different," Roicka said. "I'm the only girl from Poland on the team, but there's also a few internationals, and we are kind of similar – Anja from Serbia, Lara from Turkey … Bengisu, Mary. We're from European countries, and even though we're not from the same country, we have some similarities. So, we kind of understand each other."

Arslan and Toruner grew up in Turkish cities 275 miles apart and had never met or played against each other. Still, Toruner was giddy when Darling told her that he had recruited another Turkish player.

"I was really excited," she said. "We're from different cities so I had never heard of her before. So, I called her. We met on the phone, and I told her about everything at Gannon. We met actually here when we came to Gannon. Now we're so close, we always help each other so much, and we have a bond now. I'm so excited to have her."

Coach Matt Darling, assistant coach Tyler Mattera, and the American-born players have enjoyed listening to the European teammates speak in their native languages.

"Last year, I roomed with Lara, so she would talk in Turkish all the time, and it was kind of fun to hear that," Koch said. "Now, sometimes I'll walk around, and Lara and Su (Bengisu) are talking in Turkish, and it's a fun little addition."

Darling recounted a time when Arslan and Toruner got involved in a conversation in their home language when other players were nearby.

"Lara and Bengisu were talking to each other in Turkish and giggling and being really animated," he said.  "And the other girls were saying, 'We just love listening to them speak' -- how much of a joy it is to have these conversations."

Vranic, meanwhile, recalled a moment she had with Coach Darling during a timeout in one of Gannon's recent tournament victories: "We were standing there, and he said, 'Anja, three months ago, I didn't even know you, and look at us, we're playing in the final game.' And I said, 'Yeah, who would have thought?'"

The Golden Knights will go for one more title this week at the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in Seattle, and they're hoping Gannon's American-international connection can experience one more championship weekend.