York University Athletics

Djordje Ljubicic was bitten by the volleyball bug as a young boy and has gone on to experience tremendous success in the sport in the decades since he first stepped onto the court.
 
His love for volleyball began in elementary school, when he first tried it and showed immediate potential. A teacher who was also a club volleyball coach encouraged him to play at the club level and he joined the Scarborough Solars at that time.
 
He was recruited by York head coach Wally Dyba and liked being able to go to school and play volleyball close to home, and so the fit was perfect. Ljubicic was offered the unique opportunity to step in as the starting setter from Day 1 and he made the most of it, ultimately earning OUAA all-star honours in each of his five years with the program. He helped the Yeomen win back-to-back conference titles in 1993 and 1994 and earned championship match MVP honours in the run to the second title.
 
After graduating with a degree in kinesiology and health science in 1996, Ljubicic went on to compete on the FIVB World Beach Volleyball Tour for 10 years and represented Canada in beach volleyball at the 2001 world championships and the 2003 Pan Am Games.
 
Ljubicic’s passion for the sport remains unchanged and he is still a high-level competitor today, winning the 2013 world master’s championship and consecutive US Open gold medals in 2014-15.
 
“One day it will come to an end but right now I still enjoy playing and competing, and I want to do it for as long as I am physically able. I have transitioned more from a player to a coach, but I’d like to think my playing days are still going strong! I love the camaraderie of volleyball and the fact that everyone on the team is working towards a common goal. It really is a lifetime sport and a lot of people who get involved at a young age stay in it as adults.”
 
Away from the court, Ljubicic is a full-time firefighter, a profession that has elements that remind him of his playing days.
 
“It was one of those jobs I had an interest in while studying in university but I didn’t decide to pursue it until a few years later. I was fortunate to make it through all the steps and was hired by Toronto Fire Services in 1999 and have been working there ever since.
 
“There are parallels between being a high-level athlete and a firefighter, most specifically dealing with physical and mental stress. Those are things I experienced when I was competing and I face on the job too. As an athlete I learned some strategies for dealing with the stress that are valuable to my career now.”
 
In addition to playing, Ljubicic has stayed involved with the sport as a coach for his son Dejan’s club team. He is part of a volleyball-loving family that also includes his wife Jo-Anne, a former varsity player herself for the Lakehead Thunderwolves and also a current master’s athlete, and his daughter Milena, who plays at the club level.
 
Ljubicic’s long, successful career as a volleyball player has given him plenty to pass along to the next generation of players who may one day go on to experience the same success he did at so many different levels of the sport.