It was a leap of faith, coming halfway around the world. A huge risk to pursue the American dream of a brighter future through athletics and academics.
It was no more of a risk, however, than tossing a volleyball … thousands and thousands and thousands of repetitions … to perfect a jump serve both accurate and deceptive. No one knows how many times Siki Zarkovic worked on that serve — or any of the other skills that have made him a complete volleyball player.
What is a given is that a volleyball was akin to a baby blanket.
The Hawaii senior hitter grew up in the gym, watching his father, Milan, play and coach around the globe, peppering with his dad during water breaks, and before and after practices. Collecting passport stamps was his version of collecting trading cards, first as a child then as an accomplished member of various Serbian national teams.
For most of his 23 years, Zarkovic has had two constants: volleyball and dad as his coach in sports and life. Sometime in the next few weeks, life as he has always known it will be over.
“It’s sad, it’s what I’ve had my entire life, “ Zarkovic said as the Rainbow Warriors prepared for Saturday’s Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament quarterfinal at UCLA. “My dad is not going to be my coach and, even though it’s had its ups and downs, it’s been a good run and I’ll miss him.
“But it’s not over yet. We still have a lot to prove and improve on. We want to prove we are a good team, that we can compete with anybody. This is a crucial game for us this weekend and that is the focus.”
Still the memories linger of last Saturday’s senior night, of being buried with lei, of fans clamoring for one more picture, one more autograph. And of his father, who promised not to cry, doing so.
Milan Zarkovic, who wears his emotions like a neon bumper sticker, couldn’t help it. It started hours before the celebration in the arena began. As the Zarkovics walked to the Stan Sheriff Center for the final home match of the season they spotted a family of four, nameless but familiar as faithful fans, with their sign reading a simple: “Siki, we will miss you.”
That was when the tears started for the elder Zarkovic, a poignant reminder that things soon would be forever changed between him and his only son. The irony was not lost on Milan Zarkovic; he had joined Charlie Wade’s staff when Siki was a sophomore and will remain as an assistant while Siki pursues his accounting career, likely in Honolulu.
“For me, the biggest compliment was to trust someone else with your child,” Milan Zarkovic said. “Now the biggest compliment is when you are in a place where a boy, who was here for four years, is a man who wants to stay.
“He could have played professionally, but he changed his mind, staying here and applying for a job. He came here for school, to become better academically, and that will become his career.”
Siki Zarkovic’s reputation is of being as smart on the court as he is in the classroom. He has a 3.66 GPA and is as likely to earn academic All-America as AVCA All-America honors (he was an honorable mention in the latter last season).
His academic success came as a surprise to Zarkovic, who admittedly became obsessed over whether he’d receive a B-plus or an A-minus in a course.
“I haven’t lowered by standards, but I am OK with a B now,” Zarkovic said. “I wasn’t that great of a student when I came here and this place changed me.
“Hawaii has changed me in a lot of ways and that’s the thing I’m most grateful. Being here has made me a happier person. I looked at going to UCLA and BYU, but there are no regrets because this is the best place to play volleyball. The love that people give you is unique and I’m forever grateful to have played in front of these amazing fans.
“Senior night was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I remember thinking since I was a freshman that I wouldn’t get many leis because I had no family here. But now I have family and I got buried.”
Zarkovic will graduate next month with a degree and a place in the UH record book. He is the eighth Warrior to record 1,200 kills — he’s at No. 8 with 1,294 kills — with 22 double-figure kill outings in 27 matches this season.
His uniform number (16) also is coinciding with the best year of his career. Zarkovic’s .407 kps average is third in the MPSF and eighth nationally; his 29 kills against Cal Baptist last Friday was the most in the conference this season.
“His career has been different than most,” Wade said. “Guys come to college aspiring to play in the champions league (in Europe). Siki was playing champions league when he was in high school.
“He’s been a pretty significant contributor for us his entire career, just a rock-solid guy.”
Zarkovic said his favorite class at UH was “Negotiations,” where he had to negotiate every class with fellow students. He’s been fairly successful negotiating in matches; his 2,916 kill attempts is No. 5 among Warriors attackers.
“You have to treat the setters nice, so they treat you nice,” he said. “But the setters are the law.”
