Lana Radakovic played in three seasons over four years at UC Davis before calling WSU home. A two-time Big West Conference All-Academic player, she brought academic excellence and an aggressive playstyle when she transferred to the Palouse.
From the get-go, she has proven to be a quality teammate, as despite appearing in just 13 matches as a freshman, her teammates honored her as the “Best Teammate.”
In her UC Davis career, she played in 231 sets over 68 matches, averaging 1.62 kills and 0.8 blocks per set while hitting .300% exactly. With 33 career service aces, 374 kills, 178 total blocks and 507 total points, she was a good player that brought quality depth to the Cougs in the middle blocker position behind Magda Jehlárová.
Battle for playing time with primarily Jasmine Martin, Radakovic has seen action in 21 matches, playing at least one serve in 67 sets and increasing her blocking stats from her time at UC Davis. Despite her offensive numbers taking a slight dip, likely thanks to the increased level of competition, she has remained a good piece in the Cougs’ rotation.
Averaging 1.13 kills and 0.93 blocks per set in 2023, she is hitting .246% and has accounted for 124 points so far this season. Just like at UC Davis, Radakoiv has brought good vibes to the Cougs and has made not only herself a better teammate and player, but the people around her.
“Being in that [competitive] atmosphere has me better,” Radakovic said. “We all just make each other better players and better teammates.”
Individually, she has had several quality performances in 2023. Notably, in the Oct. 20 match against USC, she had double-digit blocks for the only time this season, finishing with exactly 10 blocks over four sets played.
Offensively, her best outing came in the very first match of the season. Against Wright State, the middle blocker from San Francisco finished with a season-high eight kills and hit .583%. The 10 points she put up in the win were matched by one other performance, but it was her most efficient outing on the offensive side of the ball in 2023.
Working toward her master’s in strategic communication, Radakovic has made a big impact on the culture of WSU in her short time.
