Clemson's Ani Mijacika and Miami's Ignacio Taboada are ready for the 2009 ACC Tennis Championships. Get to know these student-athletes who are among those competing who will be competing next week.
Click here to visit the ACC Tennis Championships Site.

How did you choose to play at Clemson?
After I finished high school, I took a year off and just played tennis. Then I (thought) I would go to college in Croatia;not thinking about going to the U.S. Then coach Nancy (Harris) came, to recruit my friend and I was just hitting with her, I was her sparring partner. She (coach Nancy) liked my game and what she saw and started talking to me about Clemson. At that point I was still thinking there was no way I was going to the U.S, I was just thinking I would stay in Croatia. But she offered me a full scholarship. I was thinking that was awesome because I could do school and tennis both. I thought a lot about it and I made the decision to come here.
(Note: that sparring partner was Dijana Stojic who is now at South Carolina.)

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment so far as an athlete?
For the team, I would say the ACCs. For myself, I would say, coming here and reaching all of these so far, like the #1 ranking.

What do you still hope to accomplish in the future?
I will definitely try to go pro after my college career and try to do well there. Right now, I think I am on a good track. My game is good in college but the competition is extremely strong. I'll try to play some pro tournaments and see how that goes.

Who is your most influential role model?
My parents, both of them. They are always so supportive of me, even when I decided to come here. And even before in my career, they tried to provide everything for me so I can keep going in my tennis, like paying for coaches or other expenses. And I have always admired my parents for what they did.

What was the best advice you ever received from a coach?
"Just do your best, get out there and have fun. Try to do your best in each match."

What was the biggest adjustment from Makarska, Croatia to Clemson, South Carolina?
The biggest adjustment was definitely, the language. English is not my first language. When I came here I had to speak only English. Also the culture is so different. Being away from family, that was a really tough period for me my freshman year.

What are you goals personal goals this season?
I will definitely try to do well in the nationals, both singles and doubles. Hopefully we'll go final eight or something, at least.

What are your expectations for your team this season?
Right now, we are focusing for the ACC Championship. Last year we won it and we are trying to repeat. And definitely qualify for nationals (NCAAs). I think we have a really good team, a really deep team. I think we can do well both in ACCs and in (NCAAs).

What is your greatest accomplishment outside of athletics?
Probably, coming here and learning a new language, adjusting to a new culture and the new environment without knowing anyone. It's been tough. I'm really proud that I did it.

How did you choose Miami?
My senior year, with the whole recruiting process, I didn't really know much about Miami. I was looking to go some place kind of near home. Towards the end of the process, (Coach) Mario (Rincon) contacted me. My coach knew Mario and knew he was a really great guy. So, I came down and visited and I obviously loved the weather. There is a lot of connection with tennis in Miami right now, internationally and everything. So, I just fell in love with the campus and the coaching staff and the team really quickly.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment so far as an athlete?
For me right now, clinching (the match against) Wake Forest, was a really big win for me. I opened the season really well but I hit a rough patch, so for me to come back at the end and play really well for my team and for myself, that was really big for me.

What do you still hope to accomplish in the future?
I have a lot of goals, I definitely want to be ranked; I would like to be one of the top 50. I also really want to win an ACC Championship and the ultimate goal would be to win a National Championship.

Who is your most influential role model?
Probably my dad. Since I was growing up, with sports he would always tell me to try my best and to always love what I do and don't worry about anything else. He also taught me how to be a great person, in general.

What was the best advice you ever received from a coach?
I always had trouble getting nervous and over thinking during a match. Probably the best advice I got was to just play and not think too much.

What's your most memorable moment in sports?
The first day I stepped on the court with team and just being part of a team. Until then I had always played individually. Being part of a team and playing for this university is definitely memorable for me.

What are your expectations for your team this season?
We are No. 2 in the ACC right now so that's really good for us. I think we can definitely win the ACC Championship if we all play well and go into the NCAAs with a lot of confidence.

What was the biggest adjustment from playing in high school to playing in college?
In high school, I played a lot of international tournaments and mostly just played by myself; you didn't really have to worry about teammates. You would just go play your match and then you could just relax. But in college, you have to worry about yourself and you have to worry about your team all the time. You always have other matches you are watching and you get nervous if you see another teammate losing. I guess the adjustment of playing on a team instead of individual matches.

What is it like to be part of a conference that is so competitive?
It's great. You know everyone you play in the ACC, every time you step on the court, you know it's going to be a tough match. And you can't take any team for granted. To be in one of the top conferences, you always have to be focused and you can't let up ever.