STATESBORO - Maya Zovko has faced trials and tribulations during her five years with Georgia Southern women's soccer. Her mindset and motivation have kept her going, but the game is what's making her stay.
 
Zovko began playing soccer as soon as she could walk but enjoyed a variety of sports before making the full-time commitment to soccer. The Eagles senior dabbled in volleyball and tennis during her younger years but stuck with track, basketball, and soccer throughout high school.
 
"I think being a multisport athlete helped me a lot physically and mentally. I think playing a variety of sports kept me from getting burned out and allowed me to be friends with different kinds of people," said Zovko. The senior Eagle formed a special bond through soccer with her father, Tom Zovko, who played the dual role of coach and dad growing up.
 
Mr. Zovko was a collegiate kicker at the University of Cincinnati and stepped into the role of coach at one of the soccer clubs Zovko played at. "It was special getting to learn and grow from him on the field," said Zovko. "It meant a lot growing up, and now as a fifth year, it's even more special because he was there since the beginning."
 
The senior defender knew she wanted to play collegiate soccer from a young age, and when Georgia Southern presented her with the opportunity to play Division One soccer, she made the move from Cleveland, OH, to Statesboro, GA.
 
"I didn't know what Georgia Southern was, and then I came on my visit, and I loved it. The community and feeling honestly reminded me a lot of home," said the senior Eagle. Zovko entered her freshman year as a walk-on, ready to earn her spot on the team.
 
"I think the biggest challenge was always feeling like the underdog, but every time I got a chance, I took it, and I ran with it," said Zovko. The mentality and hard work led Zovko to play in eight matches, making two starts in her freshman year. The following season, Zovko got put on scholarship for the Eagles.
 
Being put on scholarship was proof that Zovko's hard work was paying off, but what she learned during this trial of her athletic career was the motivation she needed. "I was honored to be put on scholarship, but it showed me that I was playing because I love the sport, not for the scholarship, and that work ethic doesn't change no matter what situation you're in," said Zovko.
 
Zovko is in her fifth and final year with the Eagles and gives thanks to her teammates for making her years at Georgia Southern so special. "They are one of the main reasons it's been so easy to stay five years. They have made me a better person and have been so supportive," said Zovko.
 
 
When looking back at her athletic career, Zovko gives tribute to her younger self and the next generation of female soccer players. "My motivation is my younger self. The girl who didn't have the confidence when she wished she did," said Zovko. "It's also the younger generation of girls who look up to Georgia Southern Women's Soccer. I want to show them that they can do anything they put their minds to."
 
The senior Eagle came into this season with the goal of leaving Georgia Southern Women's Soccer better than she found it and to lay the foundation for the underclassmen on the team. Despite overcoming a concussion she endured during this season's game against James Madison University, Zovko feels like that goal has been accomplished. "I feel like even if I wasn't on the field, it was just being a role model to the younger freshman, leading by example and giving them advice on and off the field," said Zovko.
 
 
Zovko graduated with her bachelors in exercise science in May 2024 and plans to graduate with her masters in kinesiology with a concentration in coaching this spring. "I plan on going into some sort of coaching or mentoring program, so I'd love to give back to the soccer world in any way that I can," said Zovko. While her time playing on the field may be coming to an end, Zovko isn't walking away from the sport just yet.