The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Sweet Ole Miss
9/15/2003 | Women's Tennis
Sept. 15, 2003
By Kimberly Ling
Assistant Athletics Media Relations Director
It is approximately 1,881 miles from Newport Beach, Calif., to Oxford. Argentina, Brazil and Chile are on another continent. All of them are distinctly different from Oxford and Ole Miss, the place where women's tennis seniors Audra Adams, Florencia Basile, Karem Harboe and Sabrina Peppl have come to love during the last three-plus years of their lives.
Four years ago, Adams, who hails from Newport Beach, had an important decision to make on where to attend college. After several recruiting trips to schools around the country, Adams decided Ole Miss offered her a place to experience something different.
Audra Adams  | |
"I didn't want to stay in California for college," said Adams, a Political Science major. "I wanted to see a different part of the United States for four years. Oxford was the perfect place because it is completely different from where I am from."
It's hard enough to leave home to come from California to Oxford. So, try traveling all the way from South America to a place you had never heard of. Basile (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Harboe (Villa Alemena, Chile) and Peppl (Porto Alegre, Brazil) left their families in South America and came, sight unseen, to Oxford. Basile and Harboe arrived at Ole Miss in the fall of 2000. Both Basile and Harboe were apprehensive about leaving a familiar place, but are glad they made the choice to come to Oxford.
Florencia Basile | |
"It was really difficult because I didn't know what to expect," said Basile, an International Business major. "It was sad to leave my family and come to a place where I didn't know anybody. But, I would do it all over again."
Also an International Business major, Harboe added, "It was very different from where I come from. It was hard at first because I didn't have a lot of friends. People in Oxford are really friendly, so it didn't take long to get adjusted. I don't regret coming here for a second. I've made a lot of friends."
Imagine graduating from high school one day and leaving for another country the next day to spend the next few years of your life. That's what it was for Peppl, also an International Business major. She graduated from high school in December of 2000 at age 16, turned 17 a month later and packed her bags for Ole Miss.
"For me, it was a whirlwind," Peppl said. "I found out I had made the required SAT score on a Wednesday. I bought a ticket on Thursday and showed up here on Friday. I had no idea where I was or what the town would be like. I was really homesick at first. Now that I am a senior, I can look back and see all the friends that I have made. All of this has made me a better person and will definitely help me in the future."
Karem Harboe | |
They arrived on campus three years ago as freshmen, looking to make their mark on the women's tennis program. Now, the quartet embarks on their final year at Ole Miss with excitement and a few goals in mind. The top priority is to win the SEC West crown, and another is to erase the disappointment of not making the NCAA Championships a year ago.
"Our No. 1 goal is to win the SEC West," Adams said. "We also want to contend for the overall championship and the SEC Tournament title. We are working hard every day in practice to make sure we leave it all out there during the match."
A year ago, the foursome had to sit and wait with their teammates while the NCAA 64-team field was announced. Ole Miss did not appear in the field, and that has motivated the seniors to make sure when the time comes, the team isn't wondering if, but where they are playing.
"It was heartbreaking to see the final spot and our name not there," Adams said. "We are working extremely hard this year to make sure that doesn't happen again."
That hard work actually began when school started in late August. While many think tennis is just a spring sport, it is played year-round. In the fall, players compete in individual tournaments. Fans will get a chance to see the Lady Rebels next weekend (Sept. 19-21), as they host the Ole Miss Fall Tennis Classic at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center. Play each day begins at 8:00 a.m.
"It's exciting to host a tournament because we haven't done that since I've been here," Basile said. "Our friends and fans can come watch us play. It's going to be a great tournament, and I am looking forward to it."
Sabrina Peppl | |
Peppl said, "I've been telling my friends that we are having a tournament this fall, and most of them didn't know we play tennis in the fall. This is a good opportunity for people to see us play, and hopefully they'll come back to watch us in the spring."
While they will be working hard to make this season a memorable one, they also produce great results in the classroom. Since joining the program, all four have helped the Lady Rebels earn the prestigious ITA All-Academic Award the past three years. Basile and Harboe were named ITA Scholar-Athletes in 2003, and all four will graduate next May with plans to continue their education.
Adams has plans to go to Law School and may be a future lawyer. Basile, Harboe and Peppl all want to earn their MBAs and may be future CEOs. But, one thing is certain - all four never regret their choice to attend Ole Miss.
There is a whole another world out there, and these four seniors have spent the last three years discovering it. Once a strange place with different people, Oxford has become like home, and there's no place like home.
