Serbian native Predrag “Sasha” Danilovic — who made his NBA debut as a 6-6 shooting guard with the Miami Heat in 1995 – was such a perfectionist back then that he would only count a made shot in practice if the ball went in cleanly, not even bothering to touch rim or backboard.
Thirty years later, his daughter — University of Miami volleyball freshman Sonja Danilovic — is wired the same way.
After what she said were six-hour Hurricanes practices earlier this fall, Danilovic would return to the gym at night for individual work.
“Even I thought, ‘Why am I doing this?’” Danilovic said with a laugh. “But then I said, ‘I’m going to be so grateful tomorrow because I know that I gave 100% to be better. Even if I’m not good, I know I gave everything of myself.
“My dad says passion beats talent every time. My dad would go to the court at 6 a.m. and stay there half the day, taking 1,000 shots. He is known for being a crazy hard worker.”
Danilovic is on the roster for the Hurricanes, who are off to a hot start with a 12-1 overall record, 2-0 in the ACC and a No. 24 national ranking. The team, which next plays on Friday at North Carolina State, has also won 12 straight games.
But perhaps because of her own crazy work ethic, Danilovic — a 6-foot-2 outside hitter — has missed the start of this season due to multiple stress fractures in her back.
But Danilovic, 19, is not the only injured volleyball player on the Hurricanes whose father also played for the Heat.
The same can be said for Gaby Arroyo, a 5-7 junior defensive specialist. Her father is Carlos Arroyo, a Puerto Rico native who played for the Heat from 2009 to 2011. Arroyo, a 6-2 guard in his playing days, has had his jersey number retired by FIU, by the Cangrejeros de Santuruce and by the Puerto Rican National Team.
After all, he was on the Puerto Rican squad that beat Team USA in the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Gaby Arroyo, meanwhile, is a Miami native who played for Miami Westminster Christian before starting for two years at the University of Dayton.
Miami coach Keno Gandara said the Hurricanes wanted to sign Arroyo out of high school. But Gandara is happy he has Arroyo rostered now.
“She’s feisty and a good competitor,” Gandara said. “She has the mentality of a hitter. She’s just small.”
To Gandara’s point about being feisty, Arroyo once jammed her toe running into the stands in pursuit of a ball.
Unfortunately for Miami, Arroyo — like Danilovic — started this season on the injured list. During practice, Arroyo tried to dig out a blast hit by Flormarie Heredia Colon, suffering two partial tears in her left wrist.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody hit the ball as hard as Flor,” said Arroyo, who is majoring in Finance but ultimately wants to go to law school after playing pro volleyball. “I hit my wrist against the floor.”
Arroyo, 20, said she initially rejected the Hurricanes’ recruitment because she wanted to be independent and leave what she called the “Miami bubble.”
She then transferred to the Hurricanes for two reasons.
“The competition level in [Dayton’s] conference was not up to par,” she said, “and the cold in Ohio was slowly killing me.”
The cast on Arroyo’s left wrist was removed last week, and she should return to the court within 10 days.
Danilovic is on a similar timetable as she has resumed to practice after avoiding surgery but taking about seven weeks off.
It remains to be see what impact these two players will have on Miami’s team. Arroyo, due to her college experience, could potentially start ahead of veteran defensive specialists Naylani Feliciano and Olivia Durst.
Danilovic has experience, too, as she spent last year playing in a pro league in Slovenia.
“I’m used to playing with and against women in their 30s who bring their children to practice,” Danilovic said. “It’s a lot harder to trick a player who has been playing 20 years.”
Danilovic comes from a full-on sports family. Her mother, Svetlana, speaks “about 10 languages” and is a sports reporter for national television in Serbia. Sonja, by the way, also wants to be a sports broadcaster.
Sonja’s sister, Olga, 24, lives in Madrid and in July reached her best singles ranking of No. 32 in the world and No. 1 in Serbia. At 6-foot tall, she has won two WTA singles titles and two doubles championships.
Finally, there’s Sonja and Olga’s brother, Vuk, 17. He’s a 6-5 combo guard who perhaps could be signed by Miami or FIU. A Google search on Vuk found media comments such as “call him when you need a bucket” and “floor general in the making.”
Given her bloodlines and size, Danilovic was asked how good she could be for Miami.
“I can’t promise that I will be the best player they ever had,” she responded. “But I will do everything in my power to help the team.”
“When I was younger, I put a lot of pressure on myself,” she said. “I would see him in the crowd, and I would start playing bad. I wanted to impress him.
“But he has helped me so much. in tough moments, my dad gives me a lot of calm. He understands my emotions. When I have anxiety on the court, he gives good advice because he knows what it’s like.”
Danilovic, meanwhile, said she inherited her father’s hot temper.
When she was about 13, she would attend his basketball games only to find herself yelling at the referees.
“I was fighting for justice,” she said.
When she turned 18, Danilovic got her first tattoo, and it reads: “Still Waters Run Deep.”
The significance to Danilovic is that she strives to remain calm on the court so that she can play. consistent volleyball.
“I’m not a kid anymore,” she said. “I have to calm the rough seas in my head.”
While we wait to see what happens on the volleyball court this season, one thing is for sure: Danilovic and Arroyo won’t be playing on Miami’s basketball team.
Arroyo said her parents didn’t push basketball on her.
“I never had an interest in basketball. I wanted to act and dance,” Arroyo said. “They forced me to play volleyball. I was frustrated, but once I got into it, I liked it.”
Danilovic, ever the outgoing personality, put her basketball abilities in a comical light.
“I was so bad at basketball — zero talent,” she said. “If you saw me play basketball you would think that I’m not my father’s daughter.”