USU’s top tennis player gets gold in Las Vegas
Utah Statesman: How strong is the tennis team this year as compared to last year?
Andy Madersbacher: I think it’s stronger than last year because we have a pretty experienced team this year. We have three seniors this year. College tennis is a lot about experience. Every year you pick up a little bit more.
US: How did it feel to win the matches last week?
AM: It was a pretty big match for me. I won doubles and singles twice. The first day we lost against UNLV. They’re a good team. Then we won against Nevada-Reno and Idaho State. We lost to Idaho State before.
US: Do you feel the tennis team gets enough support? Why or why not?
AM: Tennis is not that popular around here. That’s what I’ve figured out. We have our first home matches next week. On Sunday we have our first match, then Wednesday and Thursday. So hopefully some people show up. It’s much more fun, much more exciting if some people show up.
US: What made you come to USU from Austria?
AM: I played for UNLV first, one semester. I was recruited by them first. I had a hard time adjusting there. I didn’t like it that much. I had problems with the coach down there. One of my friends played for Utah State before and then transferred down to UNLV and he told me I should come up here. He was in Sigma Chi up here so I joined Sigma Chi through him. He told me I could live here cheap so I joined Sigma Chi. That’s like the biggest support that I have, actually, because they come to my matches. That’s pretty much why I came here.
US: What do you miss about Austria the most and why?
AM: My mom’s food – that’s for sure. My family and my friends, of course. It’s always good to go home for Christmas to see them.
US: What do you like most about the Alps vs. the Wasatch Mountains?
AM: It’s much prettier over there. It’s much more green. Their valleys are really little in comparison to here. It’s such a pretty place. I miss it, kind of. It’s too cold though. It’s the same in Austria. I don’t like it too much. It’s colder here than Austria – especially this year.
US: Are you a soccer fan? Why or why not? What’s your favorite European soccer team?
AM: Yes, I’m a soccer fan. I used to play soccer until I was 14 for a team. Then I decided to play tennis because I was better at tennis than at soccer. My favorite soccer team is probably Manchester United. There’s other ones, like Real Madrid and Italian teams. Lazio-Roma is pretty cool, too.
US: What’s the best thing about being in Utah and why?
AM: Actually,/ I like the school here. It’s a pretty fun school. It’s a college town. You meet so many people – that’s what I missed in Vegas. You meet way more people here – more people on campus, more people live around campus. Since I’m in a fraternity, I meet people through the Greek system. I like that a lot. I like school. I like the tennis team. I like our coach. It’s fun. It’s cool.
US: What are your plans after graduating from USU?
AM: What I want to do is try to get a job as an assistant coach somewhere else so that I can afford grad school afterward. I can pay my tuition for that by being an assistant coach. I would like to go somewhere else because here assistant coaches don’t make that much money. I have to pay out-of-state tuition. I don’t know what I want to do – if I want to go back to Austria or here. It depends on where I get a better job.
US: Which girls do you think are the most beautiful – girls in Austria or Utah, and why?
AM: There are many pretty women here. They’re different here. I met many pretty girls up here. There are more pretty girls here than in Austria.