Wed, Jul 09 2008
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Published May 15, 2008 12:33 am - A sophomore from nearby Missouri, Melissa Hoffmeister is hardly unique at the University of Arkansas. Except when she’s hanging out with her tennis teammates. “Not many people get to say they have eight close friends (from) eight different countries and everybody’s got their own language,” said Hoffmeister, a sophomore from Joplin. “But we all mesh really well.” Joplin's Hoffmeister only U.S. player on Razorbacks' roster The Associated Press
A sophomore from nearby Missouri, Melissa Hoffmeister is hardly unique at the University of Arkansas. Except when she’s hanging out with her tennis teammates. “Not many people get to say they have eight close friends (from) eight different countries and everybody’s got their own language,” said Hoffmeister, a sophomore from Joplin. “But we all mesh really well.” Even in the multicultural world of college tennis, this is unusual: The Arkansas team that will play today in the NCAA women’s round of 16 has nine players on its roster — from nine countries. “It’s really interesting when we all get together — all the situations we get into, trying to argue who is pronouncing the words right, and who is wrong,” said the Lady Razorbacks’ top player, Aurelija Miseviciute of Lithuania. “The only American we have, Melissa, she even gets lost when we talk. She says she cannot speak English anymore just because of how much we influence her.” It’s no surprise that Arkansas’ coach has an international background. Michael Hegarty is from Australia — although oddly, that part of the world isn’t represented on this year’s team. The Lady Razorbacks have two seniors — Audrey Bordeleau of Canada and Maryori Franco of Colombia. Miseviciute is a junior, along with Ela Kaluder of Croatia and Nanar Airapetian of Germany. Airapetian was actually born in Kazakhstan. The team’s three freshmen are from Europe — Delia Damaschin of Romania, Fien Maes of Belgium and Anouk Tigu of the Netherlands. Then there’s Hoffmeister, who grew up about a 90-minute drive from Arkansas’ Fayetteville campus. “Missouri’s not too exciting, compared to Croatia or something,” Hoffmeister said. “Everybody from my home thinks it’s neat that I’m around all these people from other countries.” Arkansas isn’t alone in welcoming international tennis players. The Lady Razorbacks face second-seeded Georgia today in Tulsa, Okla. Georgia’s roster includes athletes from Canada and Japan. Virginia, the top-seeded men’s team, has players from England, Greece and India. Hegarty is in his fifth season at Arkansas. The Lady Razorbacks went winless in the Southeastern Conference for two years before he arrived, but he’s been able to rebuild the program. Hegarty says he’d love to be able to recruit nationally — but if the Lady Razorbacks have trouble drawing top American players, he’ll recruit globally as well. 
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