‘Be persistent’: RSU volleyball captain and coach Agija Ankevica on sport and perseverance
Writer: Laura Celmiņa, RSU Foundation
Agija Ankevica comes from Skrunda, but her path has taken her far – from Murjāņi Sports Gymnasium to the lecture halls of Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) and the finals of the Baltic Championship. She is the captain of the RSU women’s volleyball team, a three-time Latvian champion, and a health and fitness specialist, balancing both professional sport and academic life.
In this conversation, Agija reflects on what sport has taught her, what she has gained from her studies, and why an RSU Foundation scholarship means more than financial support alone.
The Beginning. From Skrunda to Murjāņi
How did your journey in volleyball begin?
I am from Skrunda, where there were two main extracurricular activities: dancing and volleyball. At first, I attended dance classes, but gradually everyone moved towards volleyball. Then came eighth grade – I was about to finish primary school, and my development had started to plateau because there were no longer enough opportunities to compete at a higher level. Murjāņi Sports Gymnasium was considered a prestigious school and an important step for further development, so my best friend and I decided to go there together.
And then to RSU?
After high school, I moved to Riga and continued playing volleyball. When I enrolled at RSU, I did not even expect that I would continue playing here, but coach Inguna [Inguna Minusa, coach of the RSU women’s volleyball team – Ed.] contacted me less than a week after I had been accepted for studies.
At first, of course, I spent more time carrying water bottles than actually playing on the court – there was still a long way to go. With each year, I gained more playing time, and for the past four years I have been both a starting player and the team captain, which I would like to believe has an important role within the team.
A dual life
How did you manage to combine everything – RSU, training, and work as well?
Combining university with training may not be the hardest part – studies mostly take place during the day, and practice is in the evenings. It became more challenging when I started working. I was lucky with my first workplace: I worked as an administrator at the RSU Sports Club. I could study during working hours if there were no clients, and training took place on site, so I didn’t have to travel around. When the Sports Club closed for renovation, I started working elsewhere, and then shift schedules came into the picture, sometimes overlapping with my lectures. I tried to communicate with lecturers so that I could complete all my assignments and exams. I would not say it was terribly difficult to combine everything – somehow, I adapted.
I think it is true that the more you do, the more you can get done.
How do you feel now without all of that now that your studies are finished?
Now it feels strange if I have a free moment. Work, training in the evening, and free time during the day. It feels like something is missing. My boyfriend laughed at me: I had just finished my studies in February, and two weeks later I was already sitting at the computer looking at which study programmes might still interest me – even though I had said I would never study again in my life.
The RSU Foundation Scholarship
How did you find out about the RSU Foundation scholarship?
I didn’t really know anything about it. Coach Inguna sent me the application and told me to fill it in. I did not realise that I was applying for a scholarship and that I would now receive it every month. I filled it in, some time passed, and then the first amount of money was transferred to me. I asked my coach whether it was just a one-time payment, but she said it was support, and that from then on, I would receive the scholarship every month. I was shocked – pleasantly shocked, of course.
What did it change practically and psychologically?
It changed a lot. At that time, I had a part-time job at the RSU Sports Club and my pay was not high. Once you paid for housing expenses, a laughably small amount was left for living. I constantly had to think: how, what else, where else could I fit in time for another job, how else could I earn an income? But I understood that there was not really any time if I wanted to keep playing and studying. When I started receiving the scholarship, it changed a lot. It gave me relief. I no longer felt the emotional pressure around finances that I think every student experiences.
I had the feeling of being valued and that I was doing something right. The scholarship gave me confidence and belief in my abilities. If someone appreciates you, you can do even more.
What would you say to the patrons who made this opportunity possible?
I feel a great deal of gratitude, and I also hope to encourage patrons to continue what they have started. At first glance, it may seem that such support does not make a significant difference, but in reality it can have a major impact on a student’s life.
The role of captain
What exactly does a team captain do?
Before I became captain myself, I didn’t think it was such a demanding or special role – volleyball is, after all, a team sport. Since becoming captain, I have seen that when something is going well or not going well in a game, everyone’s eyes turn to me. All the girls expect me to say something before an important match, after a lost match, after a win. If things are not going well, I am the one who tries to bring them back together and guide them onto the right path. The role of captain is very significant, especially if you are also one of the starting six players. There are times when the game is not going well, and you see that the team is being pulled along by your energy – then you have to try to overcome yourself. Even on those occasions when I go to practice and feel that I have no resources, I have to rise above it, try to inspire and support. They are still looking at me.
How did you become captain?
The year before me, the team had a different captain. I stepped in whenever she was ill or unable to attend, and when she later went abroad to play, I naturally took over the role. I would like to believe that I have handled the captain’s responsibilities well, because in recent years there has been no vote, as there had been previously, nor any real discussion about appointing another captain.
What do you say after a lost match?
It depends. I can also see why we lost. If we went onto the court and did not properly respect the opponent, I say it as it is: if we do not go onto the court and play against every opponent as if they were the strongest, then that is exactly what will happen – we will lose. At other times, perhaps we were not psychologically prepared. For example, after a very intense Baltic League final tournament, we came home and lost to a team we knew we could beat. Then I told the girls not to take it so hard, because I knew how exhausted we all were.
Victory, pain and ddrenaline
Athletes sometimes continue playing with injuries. Why is that?
It is the effect of adrenaline. You have been in sport for a long time, you crave a victory, and you want to play, do your part and help. Under the influence of adrenaline, you do not feel pain! I have quite serious problems with my back, and it hurts – at times it really hurts a lot – but you put on warming ointment, you score the first three points, and that’s it: you do not feel the pain. You feel it afterwards. There is a thrill in playing, especially in major finals or tournaments; you do not even need to compare it to anything else. There are spectators, you are playing, you are enjoying it, you lift the cup – it is amazing! The hard work leading up to the final is not always so enjoyable, but the final itself is very enjoyable. Under the influence of adrenaline, you do not feel the broken little finger or the aching back. Afterwards – yes, then you sleep and rest.
Pride and discipline
What are you most proud of?
The discipline that has developed. I remember myself in my first years at RSU – I was much more lenient with myself, I allowed myself to rest more, and I did not see my own potential. This path taught me discipline, without which I can no longer imagine myself. I feel strange if I wake up in the morning and there is no movement.
I constantly feel the need to move upward, learn something new, achieve new goals. Goals change, but the willpower to do more and discover more remains.
I am also proud of the team – in the first two years, we were mainly fighting for third place in Latvia. We could only dream of making it into the final four of the Baltic League. Now, for the last three years, we have also been Baltic League champions and firmly in first place in Latvia.
The sunset of a career in sport and the next generation
Where are you currently in your sports career?
I am already closer to the end of my career. My back causes quite a lot of difficulty, but it is not the very end yet. I have gained a level of form and awareness of how well I can play, and as I tell others, I am slightly too good right now to stop playing. Still, I think rationally. If after a game I cannot straighten up, then perhaps my sports career is already moving more towards its final stage. I also have one more goal – to see the new RSU Sports Club on Cigoriņu iela and play there. I played there for so long before that I would not want to miss that.
Are you worried about the team’s future?
No. We have a fantastic generation coming up – everything will be absolutely fine with volleyball at RSU. I see what the young girls were like at the beginning and what they are like now. There are girls in whom I see certain character traits of my own, certain jokes and expressions, and I think that is great. If I stop playing in a couple of years, there are girls who will successfully take over.
RSU – more than a university
What has RSU given you beyond a diploma?
RSU has opened up a lot of opportunities for me. Sport introduced me to fantastic people, both personally and professionally. If I had not played on this team, I do not know whether my professional path after graduation would have developed so organically. I work with young people at my coach’s sports school, and I have collaborated with physical fitness coaches as well as physiotherapists from RSU. Even during my studies, they offered me opportunities to prove myself and begin my professional journey. Friendships and connections with coursemates and teammates opened many doors. The RSU door closes, and other doors open through the people I met there.
What would you say to RSU students who have not yet taken advantage of these opportunities?
I would encourage everyone to try what is available outside their studies: sport, clubs, functional training sessions that coaches offer free of charge. This can make the study process more enjoyable and introduce you to people outside your course. Many people who arrive think that it is only studies and nothing more. In reality, it is much more. Perhaps that very path opens the opportunity for a scholarship or a sports excellence discount [tuition fee discounts for excellence in sport – Ed.], which makes the journey easier.
What would you say to those who are at the beginning of their path in sport or studies?
Be persistent and willing to put in the work. There will be times when both studies and sport feel difficult, but it is important to recognise how far you have already come. If you have made it this far, you will be able to keep going. I have also gone through periods when things in my personal life were not going smoothly, university was intense, and the team was facing challenges. But overcoming those difficulties made me stronger. Later, when life brings new challenges, they no longer seem quite so overwhelming, and you learn to deal with them more calmly and confidently. That is the discipline you gain along the way. I would definitely encourage people not to give up.
Agija Ankevica is an example of how excellence is built step by step through discipline, perseverance, and consistent work – between training sessions and lectures, defeats and Baltic championship titles. The scholarship she received with the support of her coach did not make the journey easier, but it gave her greater freedom and confidence along the way. Looking at the next generation now, Agija knows that what she passes on is not only volleyball skills, but also persistence, discipline, and the willingness to keep going.
