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'The Greatest Player in ORU Volleyball History'
By Jadell Forman 90
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When Ksenjia (pronounced Ekzenya) Kugler first traveled from Croatia to the United States in 1993, the airlines lost her luggage. "Everything," she said. "My summer clothes, winter clothes, sheets, all my things." (And it was never found.)
Fifteen years later, in February 2008, Kugler returned to campus for her induction into ORU's Athletic Hall of Fame. Once again, her luggage didn't make the trip. While Athletics Office staffers tried to track down her missing bags, Kugler reminisced about her collegiate athletic career.
Obviously well-liked, she warmly greeted a few coaches who stopped by to congratulate her for this award that recognized her three stellar seasons (1993-95) on the ORU volleyball team, and the role she played in leading them to the 1995 NCAA Elite Eight. According to the Athletics office, "Kugler is considered the greatest player in ORU volleyball history."
"Oh, that's nice to hear," she said. With goosebumps and plenty of praise for her teammates, Kugler recalled the Elite Eight run, including her exhaustion-induced trip to the hospital. IVs aside, her vital statistics won't need any doctoring.
Assistant Athletic Director Cris Belvin says, "She is by far the best player on the best team we ever had. Her place in the record book speaks for itself." Kugler's name runs throughout that book. Even fifteen years later, she holds records in both offensive kills and defensive blocks, proving that she was an all-around asset to her team.
Throughout childhood, Kugler delved into and enjoyed many sports but soon found her match. "I fell in love with volleyball." During her teen years under "skilled coaches," the tall, self-proclaimed optimist worked hard, developed her skills, and repeatedly earned a place on Croatia's national teams.
Kugler said that although she trained year-round in Croatia, she developed a more intense focus during each of ORU's volleyball seasons, where pre-season training lasted only weeks but was more intense than she was used to. She says she still carries that modus operandi. "It's part of who I am."
Now married, she and husband Vladimir are raising their two children in Rijeka, where she coordinates events for the local volleyball club and sometimes translates for traveling teams. According to Kugler, at ORU she earned more than a B.A. in German and a place in the record books. "I got a life degree here as well. I became a more positive person."
