A Quick Hit with Karina Gurgenyan of Women's Tennis
3/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Although her family is full of athletes, Karina Gurgenyan was the very first to play tennis. It was a surprise to her when, at age 9, her father took her to the tennis courts, but she enjoyed the sport and has been training hard ever since.
Gurgenyan's family has always been supportive through her growth and development. The sophomore from Moscow, Russia soon realized that she had the potential to reach her goal of playing in the United States. "I started to play in tournaments and started to win, and that's when I thought I could be good," Gurgenyan said.
Gurgenyan wanted to play at Southern Miss because she thought the team and school were a great opportunity. One of her greatest achievements is being a student-athlete at a Division I school, especially because Russia does not offer college scholarships to athletes.
Outside of tennis, Gurgenyan enjoys alpine skiing, watching movies, basketball and soccer. If she wasn't on the USM tennis team, she says she would most likely be alpine skiing because that is what she is most interested in.
Gurgenyan is a kinesiology major because she wants to work with athletes, and specifically their rehabilitation after injuries. She plans to go to physical therapy school after graduation.