Whether she is in her home country in Europe or attending school in the United States, one thing has remained constant for Binghamton University sophomore Anna Lejina: volleyball reigns supreme.

Raised in the Northern European country of Latvia, Lejina attended Riga Secondary School and became a two-year letter winner there. She spent her freshman year of college attending the University of Latvia before transferring to BU. During her time in Latvia she was named to the Latvian Junior National Team, which is no small feat.

So 20-year-old Lejina came to the United States to study and play volleyball for BU. She is willing to admit that it was not easy at first.

“It was really hard from the beginning to adjust because a lot of things were something completely new for me,” Lejina said. “But my teammates definitely made this process easier by being really friendly and welcoming.”

While Lejina wasn’t quite prepared for what Binghamton had in store for her, BU certainly wasn’t ready for what she would bring to the table.

In just her first year playing volleyball in the United States, she won two America East Player of the Week honors and was named to the All-Conference first team. Lejina was third in the conference with 3.53 kills per game, just behind fellow sophomore and Bearcats teammate Michelle McDonough. She also ranked third in the conference in points per game, a function of kills, aces and blocks.

The 5-foot-11 outside hitter was the Bearcats’ leader for hitting percentage as well.

She didn’t stop at merely doing well in her statistics for this year, either — she became a record setter. In the team’s Nov. 14 loss to the University of Maine, Lejina tied BU’s single match record in their Division I era with 29 kills. Needless to say, Lejina was a major offensive force and an important factor in the team’s stellar conference run. However, she has remained humble about her achievements.

“I think we played well this season,” Lejina said. “We had our ups and downs, but overall we showed a good game. As for myself, I think I played good, but I often say that we can always do better.”

“Of course it is nice to be named to the All-Conference team, but these prizes belong to [the whole] team, because volleyball is a team sport and we win and lose together.”

Bearcats head coach Glenn Kiriyama praised Lejina’s talent back at the beginning of the year.

“She can be a really good hitter at times and will be hard to stop at times,” Kiriyama said. “She’s coming along, and I think she’ll be a force to be reckoned with in conference once we start up.”

In retrospect, Kiriyama’s analysis was dead on. With her help, the team was able to get the second seed in the America East tournament, and made it to the conference finals. Kiriyama called Lejina one of the “big key[s] to our success.” He cited her as a player who was consistent throughout the year and helped carry the team.

Lejina’s entire life isn’t devoted to volleyball, however. She is an international affairs major, and after graduation she wants to return to Latvia, although she does not know yet what she will do in life. For now she is focused on enjoying her time here at Binghamton, which includes taking advantage of the cold weather.

“It’s been an amazing year so far,” she said. “I have experienced a lot of new things, met a lot of new friends … I love watching movies and spending time with my friends. Sometimes I love doing nothing, just sit in my bed and relax. But the most exciting thing I love to do besides volleyball is snowboarding.”

Despite all of the different activities she has in her life, Lejina is still focused on doing her best on the court. Over all the years playing volleyball, she has developed a true love for the game, so that it is now a part of who she is.

“I have played this game for almost 11 years now and I have never [gotten] bored of it,” Lejina said. “I think that is the best thing about this game. And there are so many good memories related with volleyball that I just can’t [not] love this game.”

It is important that Lejina has such a passion for the game, because she will have to repeat her stellar performance from this year if the Bearcats are going to compete in the America East next year.

One thing is for sure: Anna Lejina is going to play the game with heart and grit, and appreciate this opportunity while she has it.