While many student-athletes spent the summer training individually, University of the Pacific women’s basketball player Daria Nestorov ’28 was competing on the international stage.

Nestorov, a business marketing major, played for her native Serbia in the 2025 Federation Internationale de Basketball U-20 Division B Eurobasket tournament in Hungary where she was an integral part of the nation’s run to the championship game. The team finished as runners-up to the host Hungarian National Team.

During the seven-game tournament, Nestorov started every game and led the team with 5.6 assists while averaging 9.3 points. She scored 18-points against Denmark and 15 points against Albania, and her assist prowess earned her the tournaments’s third best assist per game average overall.

“Wearing the Serbian jersey felt like home and a reminder of why I play. It’s an honor to represent my country, and the energy is completely different,” Nestorov said. “You’re not just playing for yourself, you’re playing for your people, and we all share the same goal and the same fight every time we step on the court.”

Nestorov refined the skills she developed in her first year at Pacific during her now second tour with the Serbian national team.

“Pacific has taught me a lot about discipline and consistency—just showing up every day, working hard and finding balance,” she said. “This summer with the national team, I was pushed in a different way. The level of competition, the pressure, the intensity, all forced me to grow.

“Both experiences build on each other; what I’ve learned at Pacific helped me this summer, and it will definitely help me bring more confidence and maturity into this season.”

With the departure of the program’s starting backcourt from a season ago, Nestorov appears primed to take over a leadership role, which Head Coach Bradley Davis anticipates bringing out the best in the team.

“Daria’s on-the-floor leadership is what makes her stand out,” Davis said. “She leads, directs and knows when to challenge her teammates. Her leadership shows up in so many different ways beyond just vocal.

“She has a gifted understanding of the game in live action, and she plays with high energy and enthusiasm. She has that unique ability to raise the level of her teammates that you look for in your leaders, and she’s just that—a leader.”

With preseason practices underway, Nestorov is channeling the lessons of her summer into the Tigers’ 2025-26 campaign.

“This summer I played a lot of tough games, and that not only gave me more confidence but also made me stronger mentally. Going through that every day prepared me to come into this season ready and focused,” she said.

The Pacific women’s basketball team opens the season at home Monday, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. against future West Coast Conference opponent, UC San Diego.