Tennis Feature: Aces From Overseas

June 15, 2010

When Julia Comas '13 came to Amherst from Barcelona to study chemistry and play tennis for the Minutewomen, it was her first time in the U.S. Although the adjustment to a new country and new culture has had its rough moments, it's worth it because there are no such opportunities in Europe to combine the sport she loves with high-level academics, she says.

Nearly six-feet tall with an excellent serve, Comas is one of five international players on the 11-woman tennis team. Hall of Fame Coach Judy Dixon has included students from other countries on the team since coming to UMass in 1982; the growth in these players is part of a college tennis trend that reflects the sport's international character.

While most top American players head for warmer climates, international players come to UMass for both tennis and a solid education. Dixon looks for smart, talented women with strong work ethics. "If they don't have high SAT scores and GPAs and good English skills, I can't consider them," she says. Dixon finds players from Spain, Serbia, Poland, Germany, and other countries through agents, who keep her abreast of international rankings and send video of players. Easier email and Internet communications have also led to more international recruiting.

Dixon's international students have excelled on the court and in the classroom. Former number-one player Sasha Edelstein '05, from Israel, works on Wall Street as a trader for Citigroup. New graduate Captain Maude Lecluyse '10, from Montreal, is working for Ernst & Young in Boston.

The mix of nationalities deepens their university experience. "I've learned a lot about different cultures from the other players," says Lecluyse, some of it significant, and some not so. "For one thing, they don't eat peanut butter in Spain."

The Minutewomen concluded the 2010 season with a 14-8 record, finishing fifth in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics

Related Videos