Player of the Week: November 21, 2022
Each week of the spring and fall seasons, one player who was originally reported as a recruit by AVSR Global is named Player of the Week for an exceptional performance.
Fall Week #10: Mila Ilieva
Univ. of Maryland, Baltimore County.
America East Conference.
NCAA Division I.
Sophomore, 6'0" Middle Blocker.
First reported by AVSR Global in 2019.
Home: Vidin, Bulgaria.
See Ilieva’s bio at the UMBC website.
Last Week:
• Ilieva was MVP of the America East Conference finals, and UMBC won its third consecutive bid to the NCAA Championship tourney.
• UMBC swept New Hampshire 3-0 in the AEC title match after beating Bryant 3-1 in a semifinal, earning the league’s automatic NCAA bid.
• Ilieva scored 14 blocks and 20 kills, hitting at .529 efficiency. She led the AEC in blocks this season, posting 126 at a pace of 1.3 per set.
• UMBC’s wins avenged its early-November losses to New Hampshire and Bryant. The Retrievers are 17-8 this season, 9-3 in the AEC.
• Ilieva’s hometown of Vidin sits along the Danube River. She competed for the Bdin-Vida club and Bulgaria’s junior national team.
• Ilieva trained in track-&-field at young ages before she specialized in volleyball. She excelled as a sprinter and high jumper.
Excerpts from 2019 AVSR Global report:
“Swift and springy. She’s a dynamic, fast-twitch athlete. … Unusually versatile. … Plays six rotations as a MB/OH and primary passer. … Swing is fast and clean, and she’s outstanding at adjusting to sets.”