Former outside hitter Sasha van der Merwe, one of Marist volleyball’s all-time program greats, is set to continue her volleyball career professionally in Slovakia after spending her graduate season at Florida Gulf Coast University.
After a pandemic-abbreviated freshman year, van der Merwe was a stalwart for the Red Foxes, leading Marist to three straight top-three finishes in the MAAC Conference. She twice led the conference in kills and her 1,128 career kills rank seventh on Marist’s all-time list. She then went on to win an ASUN championship at FGCU in 2024.
Though van der Merwe did not sign with her agency, ZMS Sports, until after her season at Florida Gulf Coast, she had been in contact with them as early as her senior year at Marist.
The deciding factor in joining ZMS Sports was Steve Manojlovic and his extensive number of Canadian clients, many from around where van der Merwe is from in Ontario. His pitch to van der Merwe was simple, yet effective.
“You know girls that I’ve worked with,” he told her. “If I screw you over, everyone knows about it, and I lose business.”
On July 6, ZMS Sports announced van der Merwe’s signing with VA UNIZA Žilina of the Niké Extraliga, the highest level of women’s volleyball in Slovakia. During her college career, van der Merwe rarely let herself imagine the possibility of playing professionally, but will continue her career overseas this September.
Throughout her senior year at Marist, after originally speaking with Manojlovic, van der Merwe stayed in the moment and decided not to harp on the decision until the season ended. Her tunnel vision during the 2023 season paid off; van der Merwe earned the MAAC Player of the Year award thanks to her 458 kills, the second most in a season in program history.
Entering the season as the favorite to win the MAAC, Marist started 9-1 in conference play, but faltered down the stretch. The Red Foxes lost five of their last eight games to finish third in the conference and missed out on a first-round bye in the MAAC Tournament.
Her future, as well as fellow outside hitter Jordan Newblatt’s, was a hot topic at the tournament. During the pre-match captains’ meeting ahead of their first round match against Iona, the Gaels’ captains forwardly asked van der Merwe and Newblatt: “Are you both transferring next year?”
The comment didn’t sit well with van der Merwe and Newblatt, but Iona got the last laugh. Despite van der Merwe’s 28 kills (tied for the fourth most in a match in program history), Marist lost in five sets to bow out of the MAAC Tournament early for the third consecutive year.
Shortly after, both van der Merwe and Newblatt entered their names in the transfer portal. While Newblatt found a home with Bowling Green State University, van der Merwe endured a more difficult path to her next team.
“It was really scary because you have a good thing. You have great teammates, you have great relationships that you’ve built, you have great coaches, you have a great community – what if I mess this up for nothing?”
Sasha Van der Merwe
Hailing from Guelph, Ontario, van der Merwe had to follow a different set of rules due to her status as an international athlete. Graduate students on an F-1 Visa are required to take a certain number of their classes in person, cutting down her number of choices and essentially eliminating Marist as a possible option, due to the fact that it does not offer many in-person master’s programs.
Although she considered pursuing her master’s in Information Systems at Marist, the two-year program did not fit with her long-term goals. Ultimately, van der Merwe landed at Florida Gulf Coast University to pursue her MBA in Accounting & Taxation.
On the court, van der Merwe did not meet the high expectations she set for herself after her time at Marist. After leading the MAAC in kills for two consecutive years, van der Merwe struggled in the ASUN and failed to tally double-digit kills in a game after doing it 23 times as a Red Fox in 2023.
“I definitely didn’t perform how I wanted to,” said van der Merwe. “It was definitely challenging for me, but I learned a lot. I grew a lot, not only as a teammate and a person, but as a player.”
Though she wasn’t seeing the results she had hoped for on the court, van der Merwe felt herself improving drastically as a player. She joined a powerhouse of a program, as the Golden Eagles had won the previous three ASUN conference titles – they went 27-5 and a near-perfect 15-1 in conference play, the clear team to beat heading into the ASUN Tournament.
This time, van der Merwe’s team met the high expectations, winning the championship with a 3-0 sweep of Lipscomb. After five years of collegiate volleyball, van der Merwe finally got a ring on her finger.
VA UNIZA Žilina’s season does not start until late September, but van der Merwe plans on moving to Žilina in mid-August. A small city at the north-west point of Slovakia, Žilina has a strong fandom and appreciation for its volleyball team.
“There are simply not that many people, but the gym is packed,” she said.“The whole stadium cheers, and you walk around the street and people know who you are.”
Unsure of her long-term goals for her professional career, van der Merwe is preparing to take it day by day and year by year. Most importantly, she’s focusing on recapturing her true love for the sport.
“Part of me wants to rediscover some of the fun in the game,” said van der Merwe in reference to her season at Florida Gulf Coast. “I think that I was in my head to an extent that I’ve never been before.”
Simply put, van der Merwe will play as long as her heart and body allow her to. Current Quinnipiac volleyball head coach Kyle Robinson, who spent time both playing and coaching overseas, warned her that some collegiate players struggle to adjust to the playing conditions in foreign leagues.
“That’s where you get tested. Are you in it for the shiny facility, for the amenities, for what it brings you, or are you there because you love the game?”
sasha van der Merwe
That’s what van der Merwe is eager to discover: just how deep her passion for volleyball is.
Edited by Ava Battinelli and Max Rosen
Graphic by Eugene Barbieri
Photos from Marist Athletics and Florida Gulf Coast University Athletics
For more coverage of Marist Athletics, follow @cfmarist on Instagram, X, TikTok and Bluesky. Sign up to receive daily alerts here.
