Paavilainen aims for bright future

Even though Mia Paavilainen had many reservations about coming to the United States, her success on the tennis team proves it was a well-made decision.

“She is the kind of girl you don’t have come around very often. She’s a go-getter and really pushes the other girls,” Head Coach Steve Barsby said.

Paavilainen, a freshman at Georgia College & State University, has been playing tennis since she was eight years old and accredits her parents as having led her in that direction.

“My entire family plays tennis, so I was kind of forced into it,” Paavilainen said. “But that’s good. They understand tennis, and I’ve always been able to practice with them.”

Practice has certainly paid off for Paavilainen.

After winning the Intercolligate Tennis Assiociation Mid-Atlantic Regional Doubles Championship, she and her doubles partner, Luiza Biktyakova, left early Wednesday morning to compete in the ITA National Championship in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Paavilainen and Biktyakova have posted a 6-1 doubles record in two tournaments this fall. They will be one of eight doubles teams playing for the NCAA II National Championship.

Paavilainen lists the regional win and chance to compete in Texas as her most thrilling athletic moments with the Bobcats.

A freshman from Akesberga, Sweden, Paavilainen said there is a great difference in playing tennis in Sweden and in the United States.

“Here I represent a team, but in Sweden I represented a club and worked toward an individual ranking,” she said.

She said her greatest success in Sweden was defeating the No. 9 ranked player in the country.

In Sweden, Paavilainen played first for the Akersberga Tennis Club in her hometown and then began playing with the Kramsfors Tennis Gymnasium.

Paavilainen said she is very thankful that she received the scholarship to attend GC&SU.

“It is a really, really good offer,” Paavilainen said. “I go to school for free, live for free and play tennis.”

Paavilainen said she is enjoying her time at GC&SU, but contends to take it year by year. Prior to leaving Sweden, she wanted to study Swedish law, but she said, unfortunately, she cannot do that here.

If she does elect to stay, Coach Barsby said he foresees a great future for her on the team.

“If she keeps playing like she is now, she’ll probably be a four-time All-American,” he said.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 18 2002. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry