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Sports

Aussie fits right in on Houston tennis courts

Sophomore credits family and friends for making transition 
from down under more smooth

by MARK SUAREZ
The Daily Cougar 

The opportunity to play sports at the college level can take a person farther than they could ever imagine. Student athletes from all over the world compete on this stage and in the case of UH tennis sophomore Brianna Bateup, leaving her home in Australia to play tennis at UH took her farther than she had ever been before.

Bateup was born in Victoria, Australia and began playing tennis at 7-years-old. She was introduced to tennis at an early age and recalls her biggest influences in her earliest tennis memories.

"My parents introduced me to the sport, they are both pretty keen tennis players," Bateup said. "My first memories were watching my parents play and watching matches on TV as well. Stephi Graf was my idol." 

Bateup attended Eaglemont T.C. and Sacred Heart High School in Australia and won 13 different tournaments in her career there. As an amateur, she represented the state of Victoria in the Reid Cup and was a member of Western Zone Squad. 

She excelled off the tennis courts as well, receiving Academic Excellence awards in chemistry and religious education. Bateup also received Student Excellence awards for her studies in English, math and Japanese.

Bateup was recruited by UH and came to the University in Fall 2004. Her transition from Australia to Houston was an experience unlike any other she had faced before. 

"It was a huge transition, I was a bit of a homebody and the longest I had ever been away from home was two weeks," Bateup said. "To come here and live and be independent was pretty big. America is very different from Australia but just being in a team environment and having so much support has made it cope-able."

In her freshman year, Bateup compiled a 12-11 singles record and was 9-11 in doubles competition through the 2004-05 season. 

This season Bateup has been solid, tallying a 15-8 singles record and a 16-6 doubles mark through the 2006 spring regular season. She played in every match for Houston this year and helped the Cougars end the regular season 19-4 overall. The team also captured a perfect 13-0 home record.

Currently, the Cougars are preparing for the C-USA tournament slated to begin April 20 and Bateup will have the No. 1 singles position of the lineup, after posting a 3-2 singles record at that position this spring.

Bateup has settled in as a Cougar and credits her family and friends for giving her the support she has needed to succeed on and off the tennis courts.

"My parents have been an inspiration because of the support they've given me, for the opportunity they've given me to come over here," Bateup said. "Also, my closest friends have been a pretty big inspiration. Yoli on this team and my best friends back home."

With her junior year approaching, Bateup still has to pinch herself to believe she has come so far in such a short time.

"I feel so lucky to have come to Houston, to such a good team, and such a good coach," Bateup said. "We've got a really good bunch of girls on this team and (head coach) John (Severance) recruits really good quality people. I just feel thankful and lucky about that. Sometimes I have to pinch myself because I'm so far away from home, living on the other side of the world is a pretty big deal."

Bateup is a kinesiology major and studies exercise science. She would like to work in the field of sports in physical therapy.

Send comments to dcsports@mail.uh.edu