Suburban Life Athlete of the Week: Victoria Matulevicius, Montini, basketball, senior

Name: Victoria Matulevicius

School: Montini, senior

Sport: Basketball

Why she was selected: Matulevicius scored 22 points in a win over Trinity and scored her 1,500th career point in the game. She also tallied 20 points in a win over Mother McAuley. Matulevicius was selected the Athlete of the Week in an online vote.

Here is her Q&A with Sports Editor Joshua Welge.

What did reaching 1,500 career points mean to you?

Matulevicius: Reaching 1,500 career points, to me, means that I have made an impact on this team, that I did my job and did whatever I could to help this program be successful.

How are you feeling about the team going into the playoffs? What do you feel will be key to going far in the postseason?

Matulevicius: I feel very confident in the team’s abilities and what we can do. The key thing to going far is definitely staying together and being able to trust each other. We have to be able to handle every situation thrown at us and have each other’s backs. We are all very talented and skilled, so we have to combine our abilities to accomplish our goals.

Your ability to drive and score around the basket is impressive. How did you develop that skill?

Matulevicius: I learned all my skills from my dad. I have been practicing with him since I was 5 years old and each day I keep building on those skills that he has taught me. He works on all of the little things with me and I am very grateful for all that I have been taught.

I recall interviewing you a few years ago and you had played for a team in your family’s native country. Have you had any similar experiences since then?

Matulevicius: Yes! This summer [2023], I spent the summer practicing and playing with the U18 Lithuanian National Team in Lithuania, France and Turkey. Most of these girls were a year older than me. Also, in the summer of 2022, I played in Portugal with girls my age for the U16 Lithuanian National Team.

I know you’re uncommitted. What kind of school and basketball program are you looking for at the next level?

Matulevicius: I feel like the main thing I’m looking for in a school is to feel like I can make an impact and to feel like I am going to a place that has a lot of culture. No matter what, I want to be successful in the classroom and on the court.

Do you have a favorite TV show or movie?

Matulevicius: My favorite movie would probably be “Where the Crawdads Sing” and my favorite TV show is “American Horror Story.”

Favorite food?

Matulevicius: My favorite food would definitely be any Polish food my mom makes or Lithuanian food my grandma makes.