Traditionally, VCU boasts one of the premiere tennis teams in the nation. The women’s team has produced excellent seasons over the last few years, including six NCAA tournament berths in the last 10 years. They are also the reigning CAA Conference champions.
With a tradition of excellence already in place, it’s hard to stand out individually. Junior Marianna Yuferova, however, has taken VCU by storm.
A native of St. Petersburg, Russia, Yuferova has accomplished more in her three years at VCU than most players can dream about. As a freshman, she was named an All-American by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. As a sophomore, she was an All-Colonial Athletic Association selection. In her first two years combined, Marianna won almost 100 matches.
Yuferova, who has been playing tennis for about 14 years, picked up the sport because of her father.
“My dad is a former athlete. He took me to his practices when I was little, and I kept him company,” she said.
Before long, she picked up a tennis racket – and a star was in the making.
Flash forward to this season, and Yuferova has begun her junior campaign with a bang. At the University of Virginia Invitational, she picked up a singles victory and teamed with Olga Borisova (Minsk, Belarus) to grab a doubles win for the 13th-ranked Rams.
Yuferova felt good about her performance in Charlottesville.
“It was really nice. It gives me a sense of security. I felt confident and comfortable before the season, and I did my best.”
Despite her ability to run through the competition, Yuferova has found that college tennis can be quite challenging.
“Before I came here, there was a stereotype in Russia and Europe that college tennis was really bad and wasn’t at a high level. Since I came here, I’ve realized it’s at a high level, and it’s gotten better each year,” she said.
VCU’s women’s team is considered to be one of the toughest competitively, according to their ranking, and Yuferova agrees with it.
“I feel like we have a really good team. We had a good team last season, but we should be really good this year. I feel confident that we are going to do great.”