It's funny, but if someone hadn't told you the converse was true, you might think Emma Verberne was from right here in northern Nevada. The truth though, is that she was born and raised thousands of miles from the Silver State.
"This campus is different," she said. "People in Reno gave me such a welcome feeling."
It wouldn't be a stretch to say the University of Nevada is different from Verberne's hometown of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. In her words though, it was noticeably different from the other schools that were recruiting her. Schools like New Mexico, New Mexico State and Wyoming.
The sophomore has acclimated well to her life in the United States, mixing her decidedly European attitude and demeanor with some good old fashioned American athletic success.
As the reigning Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, Verberne comes into the 2011 season with high hopes, but not necessarily high expectations.
"I try as hard as I can to play free," Verberne said. "It helped last year to not know what to expect from American college tennis. I didn't do anything but play my best and it went a long way toward my success."
The environment for many student-athletes that cross the Atlantic to play tennis can be nerve racking, but was eased, for Verberne at least, by the people of Reno and the people within athletics at Nevada.
Head coach Sylvain Malroux, a native of France, traveled to the Netherlands to see Verberne play at Thorbecke Lyceum High School and came away with the impression that she could compete at the Division I level. Did he think she would play this well?
"When I went to recruit Emma in the Netherlands I only had the chance to see her practice," Malroux said. "I was extremely impressed with her game, but I wasn't sure how she would compete under pressure. Very quickly we realized that she was a great fighter, she was actually playing even better under pressure."
Aside from Malroux, there was Guillaume Tonelli, a former player at the University who worked closely with the women's team and Rafael Lopez, the program's assistant coach.
With a former player so closely tied to the team and the presence of Lopez, Verberne got a feeling that the Nevada tennis program functioned much like a family. That was a welcome environment for Verberne, who left all of her biological relatives in Holland when she committed to the University.
She was frank about the fact that her parents encouraged her to explore the possibility of playing tennis overseas, but were reluctant when she was offered an education at Nevada and signed a letter of intent.
"Like any parents they were excited for me but when it came down to leaving a small part of them doesn't want you to go," Verberne said.
With three seasons of tennis remaining at the University of Nevada and the makings of something concrete taking form in Reno, Verberne might eventually be converted from a visitor of the U.S. to a permanent resident.
"You never know," she said in regard to staying in the U.S. after her playing days are over at the University.
It might not seem like that idea relates to the way she plays tennis, but in reality, it is at the heart of her style on the court.
"I'm just playing," Verberne said. "It's really important for me to have fun and just live by the day."
If her sophomore season is anything like her first campaign, her coaches and teammates will have no problem with the way she approaches the game. As a matter of fact, they might encourage more of Verberne's take life as it comes attitude around the program.
"Emma isn't only a great asset for the team inside the court, but also outside of it," Lopez said. "Her positive and confident spirit influences the whole team."
It seems they already are.
