Polina Shemanova has been killing it.
“I’m just doing my best and happy to play this wonderful sport," Shemanova said.
The graduate student is swinging her way into the SU record books, recently becoming moving up to third all-time on the career kills list.
Last weekend, she traded in the knee pads for a pair of noise-cancelling head phones.
What You Need To Know
- Polina Shemanova is a broadcast journalism grad student at Syracuse
- She is also a star volleyball player, recently moving up to third all-time for career kills
- As a Russian native, Polina is using her platform to stay true to facts
“Talking about the game you like, that’s a dream job," Shemanova said.
She switched roles from outside hitter to color analyst.
“It’s very different. There’s different energy, different perspective," Shemanova said.
Her love of the game is unmatched, and it shows.
“When there are good digs, great plays, I keep yelling, that’s a great up. It’s just so emotional. That’s how it is on the court," Shemanova said.
But getting the opportunity means even more for Polina, who came to the U.S. from Russia at 17.
“With everything going on in Russia and Ukraine, this is something that Russian journalists are lacking now. Freedom of speech and stating their opinion," Shemanova said.
Being heard. It sounds so simple. But that’s not the case in her native country.
“I do want to use the platform here being a Russian native and being open about it. I want to state true facts and say the way they are. Unfortunately, a lot of journalists in Russia are not allowed, or scared to say what’s going on," Shemanova said.
She is using her voice off the court and on it.
“I want to use this last year of eligibility to play as hard as I can, study as hard as I can and we’ll see what the future brings," Shemanova said.