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Michigan junior Denise Muresan
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Muresan is the Wolverines' No. 1 singles player
© Michigan Athletic Media Relations
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Muresan was named the 2010 Big Ten Player of the Year
© Michigan Athletic Media Relations
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The awards continue to pile on for Michigan junior Denise Muresan, who was recently named the Big Ten Player of the Year and is the first Wolverine in history to be named the ITA Midwest Region's Player to Watch. The 20-year-old from Lincolnshire, Ill., who is currently ranked 19th in the ITA's Division I rankings, also earned All-Big Ten, Academic All-Big Ten and Big Ten Athlete of the Week honors for the week of April 6, 2010. Muresan notched a 33-12 overall record this season and is in second place on fourth-ranked Michigan's single-season wins list behind Sarah Cyganiak, who had 34 wins in 1995. She also earned a bid to play at the NCAA Singles Championships, which will be held May 26-31 in Athens, Ga., for the first time in her career. Muresan recently took time to answer questions for USTA.com about the secret of her team's success, her goals for herself and her team, the best thing about being at Michigan and more.
USTA.com: You were one of the top recruits in the class of 2007. Tell us a little about your recruiting experience and why you chose Michigan. Did you know you wanted to stay in the Midwest?
Denise Muresan: To be honest, during the recruiting process, I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go. Distance wasn’t a factor. As soon as I took an unofficial visit to Michigan, I just had one of those moments where I knew it was the place for me, and nowhere else could compare.
USTA.com: What’s the toughest adjustment players have to make from juniors to college?
Denise Muresan: By far, the toughest adjustment for me was learning how to balance the academics with athletics. Even though I attended a competitive high school, it didn’t compare to the hours, not to mention the physical and mental energy, that went into both areas each day. And to make things harder, I had to learn how to take care of myself without my mom there to do my laundry and other chores I was now responsible for.
USTA.com: You had very solid freshman and sophomore years, winning consistently in the middle of the lineup. You’ve really caught fire this season, establishing yourself as one of the top players in the nation. What kind of improvements have you made in the last two years?
Denise Muresan: It isn’t that I have focused on one part of my game necessarily. I just work hard and try to become better every day. While I struggled with some injuries my sophomore year, I’m feeling healthy and able to play without restraint. With the help of my coaches and teammates, I have done what I can to improve every aspect of my game. I’ve also just grown and matured a lot as a person on and off the court, which has also made a big difference.
USTA.com: Not only have you had an exciting season individually, but your team has climbed into the top 10. What’s the secret?
Denise Muresan: Our team is really special. First off, every single person works extremely hard every day at practice, conditioning and weights. Also, we have great team chemistry. We have so much fun together, and we are all really close, including the coaches. All of this, combined with gaining confidence in ourselves, has made us a top-10 program.
USTA.com: What are your goals for yourself and for your team this season?
Denise Muresan: Some of our team goals this year include winning Big Tens and hosting Regionals. As the season goes on, we are setting new standards, but mainly we focus on working as hard as we can daily and playing with everything we’ve got every match, rather than a specific goal. As an individual, I haven’t made any concrete goals as far as records or rankings. Every time I step out onto the court it’s my goal to win the match I’m playing.
USTA.com: What’s the best thing about Michigan and Ann Arbor?
Denise Muresan: One of the best things about Michigan is the school pride and tradition. The atmosphere on campus during football Saturdays is something you can’t describe unless you experience it. Ann Arbor is a great town because it has a lot of character and diversity. There are many places to eat and hang out. One of our team favorites is Bubble Island, and my personal choice is Chipotle.
USTA.com: Student-athletes keep a busy schedule. What is a typical day like for you?
Denise Muresan: A typical day for me includes class, ranging from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., followed by practice from 3-6 p.m., including either weights or conditioning. After, I go home, get showered and eat dinner. I can finally start studying around 7:30, and if I have time, I’ll hang out with my roommates for a bit, then go to bed.
USTA.com: What is your favorite class?
Denise Muresan: My favorite course that I’ve taken so far has been biology. And I’m really looking forward to taking anatomy and physiology because I really love learning about the body and how it works.
USTA.com: Most people know that student-athletes spend a lot of time traveling via plane, bus and van. How do you and your teammates keep it interesting?
Denise Muresan: Since we’re a small team and really close, we find ways to entertain ourselves by teasing each other. A lot of times, we’ll get dance parties going on in the vans with all of us belting out to the music. We even got our head coach, Ronni, to fist pump once. Recently we’ve gotten a flip cam, which we’ve used to make short videos on ridiculous moments we have, including Kari Wig and me imitating Michelle Sulahian’s amazing singing abilities.
USTA.com: What advice do you have for junior tennis players who want to play in college?
Denise Muresan: When looking at schools, pay attention to the team chemistry and the relationship the players have with the coaches. This can really make or break your college experience, since you spend so many hours together each day. Our team gets along so well, and it makes everything that much easier. We have so much fun together, and I’ve had some of my best times with these girls.