As the women’s tennis season comes to an end, so do the careers of seniors Momei Qu and Alejandra Meza Cuadra. Illinois will not only lose two savvy veterans, but also role models who helped lead the young Illini squad both on and off the court.

On the court, Qu is an aggressive baseliner who loves to make her opponents run the entire match. Off the court, she is completing a double major in computer engineering and finance.

Meza Cuadra’s strengths are her quickness and arsenal of shots. Away from tennis, she is finishing her double major in economics and finance.

Clearly these two didn’t have any trouble keeping the numbers straight during practices and matches.

With the regular season finished, Qu and Meza Cuadra reflected on how they will adjust to a life without tennis.

“(Tennis) is something I have been doing for 12 years, every day of my life,” Qu said. “I haven’t taken more than a week off most of the time, and suddenly it’s gone. I know I’m not going to play at this level again because I have to move on, but I am still going to play tennis the rest of my life because I can’t ever give it up.”

Although Qu will be graduating this May, Meza Cuadra still has one semester left before she finishes her degrees. However, Meza Cuadra has used up her four years of eligibility and will spend her last semester without Division I sports.

“It’s going to be different because I am going to have a lot of free time,” Meza Cuadra said. “Being on a team, you make lots of sacrifices, like a social life outside of tennis and attending business events. But I will still probably keep going (to) the gym to keep in shape and maybe play soccer.”

Meza Cuadra grew up in Lima, Peru, where she played soccer until she was 12 years old. However, soccer took a back seat to tennis, as she developed into a promising player with aspirations of playing in America. She eventually earned the No. 1 ranking in Peru for both the 16- and 18-and-under divisions. In 2005, she arrived at the University during the spring semester ready to test the Big Ten waters.

About 10,000 miles away from Peru, Qu was growing up in Beijing, China. At 9 years old, Qu and her family moved to Portland, Ore., where she started her tennis career. In high school, she attained the No. 1 ranking in the Northwest 18-and-under division. She was also named valedictorian at Wilson High School, finishing with a 4.0 GPA.

Qu’s tenacity both in school and on the tennis court continued into college, where during her sophomore year she received the Scholar Athlete Award for the highest GPA on the team and the Student Athlete Award for having the highest GPA of any female athlete in her class.

“Momei is not just a very good athlete, she is the epitome of a student athlete,” head coach Michelle Dasso said. “I think she sets the tone for the rest of the team. That’s a great model to have when they see how she works not only in tennis, but in school also.”

Junior Shivani Dave, who has been with the two seniors the longest, said Qu is helpful to her as well as the younger players.

“She is a great example of someone who balances her work,” Dave said. “I consider her a good role model, so I go to her a lot for advice in that regard.”

Qu has had quite a balancing act this semester, taking 25 hours of classes and finishing both of her majors in time to fill a job opening at Merril Lynch in New York. She said that along with class and homework, she and her teammates devote at least three hours to tennis each day, not including matches.

“I have been doing everything I want except sleeping this semester,” Qu said with a laugh. “But now that I have a job, I am so much more relaxed. Even with all the demanding work, I think it’s better than my freshman and sophomore year when school was so important, and you have no idea what is going to happen in the future.”

After taking an average of 13 hours each semester, she received the job offer, which will start a year earlier than she had planned. This forced her to cram a little less than two years of classes into her final year. Her job will involve investment banking, which she said, fits her personality well.

“That’s one of those jobs where you get to participate a lot in live business deals and you get to socialize a lot,” Qu said. “I will definitely miss being on the team, which is why I will like the social aspect of the job.”

Meza Cuadra, also a successful student, said her specialty is strength and conditioning.

“I try and lead by my actions and not by my words,” Meza Cuadra said. “I try to give my hundred percent in every conditioning workout. I think seeing me do this really helps the younger players.”

Dave has seen first hand what Meza Cuadra’s work ethic has accomplished.

“She pushes everyone out on the court,” Dave said. “She’s out there working everyday and has improved a lot physically. With her good work ethic, she has gotten everything out of her four years here.”

In her sophomore season, Meza Cuadra was voted one of the most improved players of 2006. Her junior year, she received the Strength and Conditioning Award, voted on by her teammates.

Meza Cuadra will look to bring this work ethic into her first job. Her dream is to work for the World Bank. This summer she is taking steps toward that dream by interning in the audit department of a business firm in the Sears Tower. She said recruiters know she played on the tennis team and expect her to set up a social league for her future office.

Dasso said that Meza Cuadra has other great qualities which are sometimes overlooked.

“She is a funny girl, very loyal and very true,” Dasso said. “People don’t realize how athletic she is, also. She was one of the quickest girls all the time.”

With only the Big Ten Tournament left this season for the Illini, and the possibility of a NCAA berth on the horizon, the seniors wanted to leave their teammates with some parting words, even though they aren’t leaving quite yet.

“This year is by far my favorite team because of the girls,” Qu said. “It’s been great having a group of people you always love spending time with. Enjoy your team, because it’s hard to find friends like this again.”

Qu said she has been proud to wear orange and blue and hopes the team can keep improving next year.

Meza Cuadra echoed Qu’s sentiments.

“It’s been nice to represent this school and be a team player and care about people,” Meza Cuadra said. “I will miss the girls a lot. I want them to take advantage of their four years because it goes quick.”

Alejandra Meza Cuadra’s Career Statistics

Season Singles Doubles

04-05 3-11 2-2

05-06 20-18 12-26

06-07 13-21 7-17

07-08 3-3 4-10

Total 39-53 25-54

Momei Qu’s Career Statistics

Season Singles Doubles

04-05 21-14 6-15

05-06 15-20 19-29

06-07 16-18 12-19

07-08 17-11 1-8

Total 69-63 38-71