LORMAN, Miss. – A lifelong friendship was revived by the Alcorn State University men's tennis program as Macedonia natives
Gjorgji Popovski and
Stojan Stojanovski rejoined forces to play at the top of the lineup in 2019.
Popovski, who is a year ahead of Stojanovski, played his first two seasons at Northwestern Ohio JC. After Stojanovski's first year as a freshman at Alcorn, Popovski transferred over this past season. The two teamed up in doubles and played No. 1 and 2 singles for the Braves, respectively.
"I've been playing against Gjorgji since I was under 10 years old. We were going head-to-head every year in Macedonia up until college. We were two of the most competitive players in the country and were always at the top of the rankings," Stojanovski said. "At the same time, we built a unique friendship. Since we played so much, our families became very close and it wasn't just about tennis."
Knowing the level of Popovski's play, Stojanovski – a two-time SWAC All-Conference selection in two seasons – helped recruit his fellow countryman to The Reservation.
"I knew he could elevate our team," Stojanovski said. "Getting him here would make a big difference in the team's training and playing."
From Popovski's point of view, he had just completed two years at an NAIA institution and was recovering from an elbow injury. He missed nearly his entire sophomore season and underwent elbow surgery.
"I didn't know if I was even going to be able to continue playing or how the healing process would work. However, my love for the game and desire to be successful really motivated me to get back on the court. Then, Stojan contacted me," Popovski said. "He told me about the school and the relationships everyone has at the University and it sounded like a tremendous opportunity. He said he knew I was good enough to play, and the team welcomed me from the very beginning."
Popovski asked for his transfer release from Northwestern Ohio, and committed to Alcorn shortly after the University announced the hiring of
Barbara Oliveira as head coach in July 2018.
"There's a certain comfort level I have playing with Stojan. We know each other's tendencies and can pick each other up if the other is down. We've been training together for basically our whole lives," Popovski said.
Popovski arrived at Alcorn in Aug. 2018 for his junior year, but still couldn't play tennis. He missed the fall season to continue his recovery.
When the spring rolled around, Popovski was cleared to play in Jan. 2019 but was still getting back to form. He started the season at No. 4 singles, and slowly worked his way up. By the end of the year, he was playing at the No. 1 spot where he went 3-3 on the season.
"I was never expecting to play No. 1 singles. After my surgery, I wasn't expecting to be able to play the way I did before," Popovski said. "To be honest, I still don't even feel fully recovered. I've had to adapt my game and change the way I serve. I hit different shots now."
At the SWAC Championships, Popovski won his match at No. 1 singles against Jackson State 2-6, 7-6, 6-1 in the quarterfinals.
"Next year will be my final year and I want to get a ring. I won two rings at NAIA, but I want to get it at the Division I level," Popovski said. "I have such great memories of being with my teammates already and it would be special if we could win in my senior year."
Popovski had never been to America prior to college, but neither had Stojanovski. However, Stojanovski's family was already familiar with collegiate tennis. His older sister Tanja Stojanovska played four years at Buffalo and was an All-MAC First-Team selection and the 2015 MAC Freshman of the Year.
"The United States is one of the only countries that offers both athletics and education at the same time. It's a great opportunity and Alcorn made the best offer to me," Stojanovski said. "If I didn't come to America, my options were to just focus on my studying or try and play professionally."
As a freshman in 2018, Stojanovski posted a 9-7 overall record at No. 2 singles including a 4-2 mark in conference. He won both of his singles matches at the 2018 SWAC Championships to help the team reach the semifinals. Stojanovski also partnered with
Kert Kilumets, the SWAC Player of the Year, to go 6-3 at No. 1 doubles and 3-0 in conference.
"Playing college tennis in America took some adjusting to at first. Back home, we play on clay courts which are much different than hard courts. The game was much slower and so my game wasn't as aggressive. I had to take the step forward here and start attacking more," Stojanovski said. "College tennis here is at a very high level. Most are international players who were ranked very high as juniors."
Going into his sophomore year, Alcorn underwent a coaching change as Anthony Dodgen retired and Oliveira came in as the first-year coach.
"Both of the coaches have helped me but for different reasons. Coach Dodgen was older and had a lot of experience, while Coach Oliveira is much younger and is very energetic," Stojanovski said. "Coach Oliveira has a lot of experience playing tennis at the collegiate level and can relate to how tennis is being played right now. She understands how the players are feeling during the matches since she isn't too far removed from playing."
With the new coach, Stojanovski continued to play at a high level. He earned his second consecutive SWAC All-Conference honor after ending the 2019 season on a five-match winning-streak. It included a 6-0, 6-0 victory against Jackson State at the SWAC Championships.
"The individual awards are good, but my goal is to win the SWAC Championship," Stojanovski said. "The SWAC right now is stronger than ever in tennis. It's getting harder every year. Though, I think we will have enough talent next year to do it if everyone keeps working hard. I'll give everything I can to help us win it."
At the 2019 Alcorn awards banquet, Stojanovski was named Team Most Valuable, while Popovski won Team Most Improved.
"I am proud of how the two Macedonians performed this year. Even though Gjorgji was not at 100 percent, he was playing at a very high level. With Stojan, I already had high expectations for him and I know what his potential is at the top of the lineup. He's adjusted his game style to be successful in America," Oliveira said. "As a team, they play great doubles together. They posted some strong wins, and some very close losses to big schools. I'm hoping that they can continue supporting each other and take it upon themselves to be leaders of the team next season."
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