KRALJEVO, Serbia – Zarko Ubiparip, a 20-year-old standout with the University of Guelph men's volleyball team, has signed a pro contract in Serbia's top league as a member of OK Ribnica Kraljevo. Ubiparip, who has spent the past three seasons competing with the Guelph Gryphons men's volleyball team, is coming off a stellar 2019-20 campaign in which he was named an OUA West First Team All-Star while helping lead the Gryphons to an OUA Final Four appearance.
 
"We will miss him greatly here at U of G, but everyone in our Gryphon family is unanimous in terms of our support for Zarko and the tremendous opportunity that lies ahead for him," says Cal Wigston, who has served as the head coach of the Gryphons men's volleyball program for the past 14 seasons. "Zarko is a very disciplined individual, both on and off the court, and is someone who is well-respected throughout the OUA by his coaches, teammates and his opponents."
 
The 6-foot-5 Kitchener native was born in Canada, but has strong Serbian roots with both of his parents born and raised in Serbia before immigrating to Canada as young adults in the mid 1990's.

With both parents working two jobs, Zarko spent the majority of his youth with his grandparents, who also immigrated to Canada. From kindergarten to grade 12, Zarko attended Serbian international school every Saturday, and now returns to a country where the vast majority of his relatives still reside. "I can safely say that my three years as a Gryphon were the best three years of my life," says Ubiparip, who was named the recipient of the University of Guelph's Don Cameron Award in April for having shown the most progress throughout the first three seasons of his varsity career. "Everyone I encountered at U of G was so welcoming and accepting. I've created relationships at Guelph that I will cherish forever and am so thankful for the support I received both athletically and academically during my time as a Gryphon."
 
During the 2019-20 season, the management economics and finance major led the Gryphons in kills with 194, which was good enough to tie for 5th in the OUA. His 227.5 points accumulated during the 2019-20 campaign was also good for 5th in the conference. Ubiparip also provided problems for his opponents with his serve, tallying 19 service aces. The talented outside hitter will now look to make the transition to the pro ranks while also working towards the completion his undergraduate degree online.
 
The regular season schedule for the Serbian Superliga is officially set to get underway on September 15, but Ubiparip has already acclimated himself to his new squad after arriving in Serbia in early July to join his team for preseason training and exhibition play. During his memorable time as a Gryphon, Zarko was recognized at the OUA level in each of his three seasons at U of G, earning a spot on the OUA All-Rookie Team in 2017-18, followed by back-to-back seasons as an OUA All-Star, earning Second Team status in 2018-19 and First Team honours in 2019-20.