Fields of corn is not what senior Madina Mambetova thought of when she imagined the United States.

“Instead of big cities and skyscrapers everywhere there was corn fields,” Mambetova said. “I remember when I got to the airport in Chicago I was like ‘OK, Chicago is good.’ Then driving back there were fields everywhere and I was like, ‘Make it stop.’ It was weird at first but now I like it.”

Mambetova said she also didn’t expect her new leadership role on the tennis team to be as difficult as it is.

“I didn’t know it would be so much responsibility,” said the 19-year-old. “My previous doubles partner, Jill Wirtz, was a really good leader. Now that she is gone I am like the single mom of eight kids.”

Mambetova said if she is having a bad practice she can’t show it because her teammates are always watching her.

“You can ask my coach and he will confirm that I hate practice,” Mambetova said. “I am always ready to go play other teams.”

Head coach John Blackburn said competition is definitely something she thrives on and it helps to motivate the other women.

Mambetova came to Eastern when she was fifteen years old because she graduated high school early in Russia and it was an opportunity to be closer to her brother.

Her brother, Alim Mambetova, played tennis at the University of Illinois-Springfield.

Alim said they grew up in a pro-western household and they always wanted to come to the United States.

“When I got here it was sort of automatic that she would come too,” Alim said. “I have always been real overprotective of her, especially with her coming to college at such an early age.”

Madina said she didn’t have a problem coming early because she is independent and adjusts to things quickly.

“Honestly, it was nothing for me,” Madina said. “It was weird because everyone else was freaking out. When they found out I was fifteen, they were like ‘Oh my god, are you like really smart or something?'”

Madina said tennis is big in Russia but they only have private or club teams. Colleges and high schools do not offer tennis.

“If I would have stayed in Russia I probably would have had to quit it,” Madina said. “I would not have enough opportunity to play it and go to college at the same time. Tennis was so big in my life for so long that there was no way to just stop it.”

Tennis was such a major part of her family’s life that her father quit his job in order to teach Madina and Alim to play.

“At first it was just for fun but after that it was serious,” Madina said. “It wasn’t really recreation anymore (in Russia).”

Now, Madina is having fun, still being competitive in tennis and finishing up a degree in psychology.

Madina said she wants to go to graduate school to be a counselor or a therapist.

Even though she said she misses her family and the mountains in Russia, she would like to stay in the U.S.

“Well, maybe not here, here. I may go south because I hate this weather,” Madina said. “I have been here four years and I am still not used to the weather.”

Wirtz, who graduated last year, will be traveling to Chicago to watch Madina and the other women take on Chicago State on Saturday in their fourth meet of the season. The Panthers continue their season by playing Sunday at Valparaiso.

Unlike the weather here in Charleston, Wirtz said her former teammate is consistent.

“You can always count on her to find a way to win,” she said.