DAVID HARDEN/Arizona Daily Wildcat UA women's tennis players Diana Holland, Marie-Pier Pouliot, Daniela Torres, Maja Mlakar, Debbie Larocque and Perrine Pernin make the program one of the most culturally diverse on campus.

Women's tennis team boasts multinational lineup

When Arizona women's tennis head coach Vicky Maes took the helm of the program last October, she brought with her more than five years of experience within the program. But she didn't bring what she might have needed most - an interpreter.

Featuring seven girls from five different countries who speak four different languages, the team is a model of diversity.

Of the seven girls on the Wildcat team, only two are American.

The rest of the team is made up of girls from Canada, Slovenia, France, New Zealand and Mexico.

"Going to college is about being exposed to different cultures," said Maes - who, as a native Belgian, brings a sixth nationality to the team. "Having a large group of foreign players brings perspective to the team. Each foreign player is being exposed to a new culture, and our American player is being exposed to many new cultures. It just adds to the college experience."

Kathleen LaRose, Arizona senior associate director for sports programs, said that having a diverse athletic program is something she is very happy to see.

"Athletics is about building human relationships and character," LaRose said. "I love that we have such a diverse student population in our program. Our women's tennis team is very diverse and that is a sign of the strength of our tennis program."

As a first-year coach, Maes did not recruit this year's team, but she said she plans on recruiting more American players in the future.

Maes said that recruiting more American athletes is contingent on their talent levels as she is looking to recruit the best possible players from all over the world.

"Our goal is to be competitive," Maes said. "We are trying to recruit the best athletes and people possible at Arizona. My goal is to recruit more Americans, but my No. 1 goal is to improve the team. If no Americans are available, I have no problem continuing to recruit more foreign players."

Currently, the top player for the Wildcats, freshman Maja Mlakar, is still adjusting to life away from her homeland of Slovenia.

Mlakar said being exposed to the team aspect of tennis has been a great experience because tennis is an individual sport in Slovenia.

"It has been such a good experience for me," Mlakar said. "In my country, tennis is an individual sport. It has been nice to come here and be a part of a team. It has really helped me become a better player."

Mlakar added that being on a team with so many girls dealing with the same issues of being away from home has eased her transition.

This has been apparent so far this season, as Mlakar is currently ranked No. 27 in the nation.

Senior Brooke Taylor, a native of Newport Beach, Calif., said that playing on such a diverse team has had a big influence on her on and off of the court.

"It has been a very interesting experience," Taylor said. "Every player on our team has a different culture they bring to the court. Each girl brings different aspects to our program. It has really helped me understand the different personalities of each girl."

One conflict that arises when having such a diverse team is the language barrier between each player.

With sophomore Debbie Larocque, sophomore Perrine Pernin and freshman Marie-Pier Pouliot speaking French, junior Daniela Torres speaking Spanish, Mlakar speaking Slovenian, and freshman Diana Holland and Taylor speaking English as their first languages, problems do arise.

"I encourage the players to speak English," Maes said. "With only one natural English speaker on the team, that doesn't always occur. They have come to the United States and they need to commit to learning the language. On the court, they speak to themselves in their own language, but that is normal in tennis. As long as they don't say anything bad about anyone, I am OK with that."

So far this season, the language and culture differences between each tennis player has not hindered the success of the tennis program.

In fact, it has brought a new look to a program that is trying to bring UA tennis to a new and prominent level.