Don’t be fooled by their unassuming demeanor and love for the Wisconsin weather; UW seniors Lara Vojnov and Linde Mues are not your typical Midwestern girls. In fact, they don’t hail from the Midwest at all — or the United States for that matter. Vojnov and Mues, members of the varsity girl’s tennis team, have sparked victories and created cultural spice on their team as well as on the UW campus.
Vojnov was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. While some would consider calling Canadian foreign similar to calling French fries a European cuisine, the world around her growing up was not exactly normal. Her mother immigrated to Canada from Ireland, and her father hails from Yugoslavia. The two met in Africa. Vojnov has already been to Ireland several times and plans to visit Africa and Yugoslavia in the near future. In addition, growing up in a city of 10 million people was also an unusual experience. “You can’t walk downtown — you can’t really walk anywhere,” Vojnov said.
For Vojnov, tennis ran through her blood even in the cold Canadian air.
“Both my parents played tennis and the same with my older siblings,” Vojnov said. “So I just kind of tagged along.”
By the time her senior year in high school rolled along, Vojnov had established a name for herself, winning the Toronto singles district championship. Vojnov downplays the victory like a bad report card. The humbleness may stem from the difference in the priorities of Canadian athletics.
“They [Canadians] are much more academically based,” Vojnov said. “Athletics is just a small part of school.”
Vojnov has adapted well to Madison, which she describes as “a small city, closely knit, with a great college-town atmosphere.” As for tennis, she helped lead UW to numerous victories; Vojnov has racked up a No. 42 rank in doubles her freshman year, a team-best 18 wins her sophomore year and the B-draw consolation championship title in the Louisville Invitational her junior season. However, she might say her biggest accomplishment was being named academic all-Big Ten her junior year.
Nearly halfway across the planet is where you can find the birthplace of Mues, Vojnov’s teammate and, from time to time, doubles partner. Mues grew up in Hofstade, Belgium, a mid-sized city filled with winding roads and small cars.
While Mues did not have tennis running through her family like Vojnov, the game entered her life at a very early age. While other four-year-olds spend their free time watching Barney and playing with Barbie dolls, tennis became Mues’ early obsession. “One day I must have seen [tennis] on TV, and I said, “Mom, I want to go play tennis,” Mues said. “So she opened the phonebook and took me to the first club they could find.” When Mues first walked into the club, the trainer looked at the tiny tyke as if it were a joke, but after seeing the child’s natural talent, it was no laughing matter.
Like Vojnov, Mues saw a more academic base for student athletes in Belgium compared to the United States.
“High school [in Belgium] is a lot more difficult than here; I’d put it on the same level as college here,” Mues said.
This preparation for study shows in academic all-Big Ten honors both her sophomore and junior years.
Mues has also settled into the United States nicely; even her accent has dwindled to almost nothing. Although she misses her mother’s home cooking and the culture of Belgium, she has found some comfort in the quality of cheese in Madison, also a staple in Belgium.
As for tennis, Mues has built a strong resume at UW. Last year she claimed all-Big Ten honors, along with being voted the team’s most improved player.
Now seniors, both Mues and Vojnov have created a second home in Madison and have brought a little culture to the UW tennis team.
