Head coach Jen Hoover announced Serbian wing Ivana Raca has signed a national letter of intent to join the Demon Deacons
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Wake Forest women’s basketball team announced that Ivana Raca has signed a national letter of intent to join the Demon Deacons for the 2017-18 season. Raca, a native of Belgrade, Serbia, becomes the third member of incoming recruiting class signed by head coach Jen Hoover.
"We are ecstatic to be announcing the signing of Ivana to our Wake Forest family,” said Hoover. “Ivana has a tremendous amount of international experience that has prepared her well for the rigors of the ACC. Demon Deacon fans will get accustomed seeing her block shots on one end, go coast-to-coast or spot up for 3s on the other end. With her size and versatility, high basketball IQ and extraordinary passion she will pose major match-up problems for our opponents. We could not be more excited about adding her to our program."
Raca spent her final two seasons of high school at 1st Lyceum of Voula where she led her team as team captain to back-to-back first-place finishes in Athens, Greece. After a second-place finish in the Greek Championship in 2015-16, Raca led her squad to the Greek Championship this past season. Prior to her time at 1st Lyceum of Voula, Raca attended Aristoteleio College for the 2014-15 season where she guided her team to a first-place finish in Thessaloniki and a title in the Greek Championship.
The 6’2” wing was also a mainstay in the Greek club basketball circuit and competed on the U18 level since the 2013-14 season. In both the 2013-14 and 2015-16 seasons, Raca’s club team claimed the Greek U18 Championship. During an award-filled 2015-16 season, Raca was named MVP, top rebounder and top scorer of the Greek U18 Championship. On two separate occasions, Raca was named to the ‘Top Five’ of the Greek Championship. Raca was also named the MVP of the final of the Greek ESKANA Women’s Cup, as she finished the game with a quadruple-double with 22 points, 22 rebounds, 11 assists and 10 steals.
Raca comes from family with deep basketball roots. Her older sister, Tijana, just completed her sophomore season at the University of Wyoming while her father Dragan and mother Branka both were successful basketball players. Dragan played for the Yugoslavia (now Serbia) national team and was the top scorer three times for his team and four times was named the best scorer in Europe. He currently is a professional basketball coach and has been the head coach of the Macedonia, Cyrpus and Lebanon national team and was named the best coach in Europe in 2004. Branka played professional basketball in Serbia and served as Ivana’s first basketball coach as a child.
Raca joins incoming signess Gina Conti and Maya Banks as part of the 2017 signing class and the trio will join the Demon Deacons for the 2017-18 season.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Wake Forest women’s basketball team announced that Ivana Raca has signed a national letter of intent to join the Demon Deacons for the 2017-18 season. Raca, a native of Belgrade, Serbia, becomes the third member of incoming recruiting class signed by head coach Jen Hoover.
"We are ecstatic to be announcing the signing of Ivana to our Wake Forest family,” said Hoover. “Ivana has a tremendous amount of international experience that has prepared her well for the rigors of the ACC. Demon Deacon fans will get accustomed seeing her block shots on one end, go coast-to-coast or spot up for 3s on the other end. With her size and versatility, high basketball IQ and extraordinary passion she will pose major match-up problems for our opponents. We could not be more excited about adding her to our program."
Raca spent her final two seasons of high school at 1st Lyceum of Voula where she led her team as team captain to back-to-back first-place finishes in Athens, Greece. After a second-place finish in the Greek Championship in 2015-16, Raca led her squad to the Greek Championship this past season. Prior to her time at 1st Lyceum of Voula, Raca attended Aristoteleio College for the 2014-15 season where she guided her team to a first-place finish in Thessaloniki and a title in the Greek Championship.
The 6’2” wing was also a mainstay in the Greek club basketball circuit and competed on the U18 level since the 2013-14 season. In both the 2013-14 and 2015-16 seasons, Raca’s club team claimed the Greek U18 Championship. During an award-filled 2015-16 season, Raca was named MVP, top rebounder and top scorer of the Greek U18 Championship. On two separate occasions, Raca was named to the ‘Top Five’ of the Greek Championship. Raca was also named the MVP of the final of the Greek ESKANA Women’s Cup, as she finished the game with a quadruple-double with 22 points, 22 rebounds, 11 assists and 10 steals.
Raca comes from family with deep basketball roots. Her older sister, Tijana, just completed her sophomore season at the University of Wyoming while her father Dragan and mother Branka both were successful basketball players. Dragan played for the Yugoslavia (now Serbia) national team and was the top scorer three times for his team and four times was named the best scorer in Europe. He currently is a professional basketball coach and has been the head coach of the Macedonia, Cyrpus and Lebanon national team and was named the best coach in Europe in 2004. Branka played professional basketball in Serbia and served as Ivana’s first basketball coach as a child.
Raca joins incoming signess Gina Conti and Maya Banks as part of the 2017 signing class and the trio will join the Demon Deacons for the 2017-18 season.
