It’s difficult not to notice Leilani Slacanin on the volleyball court, her infectious smile and towering figure always making her stand out among her peers. But behind that grin is a deadly player—a gem of an outside hitter who has defied all odds to earn Germany a slot in the Round of 16 with a game to spare.

Germany ended the preliminary round second on 13 points, level with top-ranked Croatia but with an inferior win-loss record of 4-1. They will take on defending champions USA in the Round of 16 on Tuesday at 9:15pm local time.

Leilani arrived in Osijek, Croatia as back-up to Coach Justin Wolff’s preferred outside hitters Leana Grozer and Maria Tabacuks, but four games into the tournament, she has emerged as a key player for the Germans.

Her route to the first team has partly been aided by an ankle injury Grozer suffered in their Pool A opener against Croatia last Wednesday. But you can’t deny the fact that the 192cm outside hitter has grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

From a paltry 6 points in the 3-2 loss to Croatia, Leilani top scored for Germany with 15 points in the 3-1 win over Egypt, posted a similar tally as they defeated Mexico 3-1 and added an impressive 12 points in the 3-1 rout of Thailand to emerge as Germany’s unlikely hero in the preliminary round.

“I thought my opportunities would come as a substitute but it didn’t really matter because I was ready to support my teammates from inside or outside. It doesn’t make a difference for me if I start or come in because I always give my best to help my team,” said Leilani.

“I’d say rising up to the occasion is something I have in me. My mum taught me to always be ready and to show what I have in me so if I get a chance, I always want to use it and do my best,” she added.

As a kid, Leilani tried out ballet, judo, gymnastics but it was almost given that she would circle back to volleyball not least because everyone in her family played volleyball.

Her father, Drazen Slacanin, was a beach volleyball player for Germany, while her mother Tonya Williams was an accomplished player for the USA national team in the 90s. Her elder brother Fabijan currently plays as an outside hitter for German club TuB Bocholt.

“I tried other sports but I didn’t really like it. When I went to my mum, it was so much fun so it was an easy choice. I had a lot of time in the gym because I followed my mum to training when she was the coach of TV Hörde. I also watched my brother play in many tournaments and my mum was my coach too so it was really fun,” vividly recalls Leilani.

It’s at TV Hörde that Leilani spent the formative years of her career under the watchful eye of her mother Tonya before Sparda BSP Stuttgart came calling at the start of the 2023-2024 season.

“I was training with my mum for so many years but there were no favours. In the gym, she was treating me the same as the other players and then at home she was still tough on me like my mother,” Leilani reflected on her beginner years.

Even though she no longer calls her mother coach, Leilani notes that their bond is still strong.

“My mum gives me tips before games so I try to use them and when I come home, she gives me a review of how I played. But if I say I don’t want to talk about it, she just leaves it alone and we talk about something else. My dad gives me advice on what I should have done better while my mum holds back a bit because she knows how it feels like even more than my dad,” revealed Leilani.

The 16-year-old is now in the books of German Bundesliga club Allianz MTV Stuttgart but is staying grounded despite her quick rise to the senior ranks.

“I have trained with them for the last year and I am just excited to be there officially and getting to play some games. I want to focus on this team and completing high school because I have three more years left then see what comes next,” said Leilani, a Grade 10 student at Wirtemberg-Gymnasium in Stuttgart.

A closer look at Leilani’s tally of 48 points so far in the World Championship reveals another side of her game. She is slowly growing into an all-rounder having returned 37 spike kills, 7 stuff blocks and 4 aces.

“I really enjoy passing because when my pass is good it makes everything easier for me. I can get into the game easily. My arms are really long and it gives me an advantage because I can hit over the block or find solutions that are really long,” said Leilani.

“Last season, the block was really hard for me but I’ve worked on in training and it’s getting better. I am also a risk taker so I try as much as possible to get a good swing on the ball while serving especially if the toss is good.”

As Germany head into the knockout phase, Leilani will definitely be one of the key players Coach Wolff will be banking on. She insists that they can beat any team if they bring their A-game to the elimination round.

“We are a really good team. We have a lot of talent in our team and the chemistry is amazing. Our goal was to get through the group phase first and see what happens next,” opened up Leilani.

“In the first game, it was kind of hard to get into it but we are slowly getting better and better. We know what we can do and what other teams can do and if the games get even tougher then we can adjust to the level. We can win even against tougher teams if we give our best.”

Ultimately, Leilani’s dream is to represent Germany at the Olympic Games. She needs to look no further for inspiration than her “role model”--her mother Tonya, who featured in the 1992 and 1996 editions, bagging bronze in the former held in Barcelona, Spain.

“My biggest dream is the Olympics because obviously it’s the dream of every athlete. I just want to feel what it’s like to be there. I don’t watch too much volleyball so my biggest inspiration is just my mum. She keeps telling me that I can do it if I train hard and take care of my body,” she says smiling.

And when she gets to the Olympic Games, one thing is for sure. She will be wearing her trademark smile, and why not?

“I’m always a happy and positive person so it just comes naturally. I enjoy playing volleyball and always want to have fun on the court. It’s important that I keep this because if I don’t have fun then nothing will work!”