Senior volleyball outside hitter Rubena Sukaj routinely kills records and aces competition in the Patriot League. However, she owes much of her success to her parents.
Sukaj grew up in Tirana, Albania. It was because of her father and brother's love for sports that she got involved with volleyball at 12 years old. Her dad was with her every step of the way, coaching from the sidelines.
She went on to play for her high school team that she described as disorganized and not well managed. Sukaj's interaction with older, more experienced players on the club teams gave her the experience and competitive edge she needed to up her game to the next level.
When Sukaj came to AU in 2005, she made the second team all-Patriot League all-star team.
"We lift and condition more than at home here, so that has helped me a lot. And then my game has gotten better too," she said. Sukaj was also named Patriot League Player of the Year in 2006 and 2007.
This year, Sukaj broke the league's career kills record, which the U.S. Military Academy's Deann Machan and Fordham University's Jenn Shea previously held.
"After some of her hits I still find myself saying 'How does she do that?'" said freshman outside hitter Rebecca Heath.
Sukaj's hard work serves as an inspiration to other players on the team.
"Rubena contributes to the team with not only her play but her leadership," he said. "She leads by example, and the fact that she works hard despite the fact that she could just sit back and blow off and still be really good, pushes everyone else to work harder too."
This season, Sukaj also broke a team record. She passed 2004 AU graduate Karla Kucerkova as all time kill leader.
Sukaj said she is motivated simply because she loves the game. However, she looks up to her parents and attributes her success to them. Her parents moved to the United States with Sukaj and attend every home game.
Sukaj is looking forward to graduation, but will miss "the crazy life of a student athlete."
Sukaj does not have plans following graduation. She will need to decide whether to continue volleyball professionally, attend graduate school, or join the workforce. The United States does not have a professional volleyball league, so if Sukaj wants to continue to play volleyball she will have to once again relocate to another country.
Heath said Sukaj's teammates will miss her on and off the court.
"It's going to be very hard for anyone to break those records," she said. "I'm just really hoping to be able to make an impact on this team and help bring it to the next level. Rubena has been a great role model and I would love to follow in her footsteps, but those are certainly going to be big shoes to fill."
You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.
