In their brief two-year stint for the Bulldog’s women’s tennis team, the sister tandem of Ana Sofia Hernandez Ferrer and Maria Hernandez Ferrer have quickly found their path to success.
Both sisters have earned GLIAC Player of the Week awards and contributed over 55 match wins to the team between the two.
Yet, the sister’s journey to Ferris differs from your typical scholarship athlete. Traveling to a different country unfamiliar with the customs and aspects of the world is a unique challenge. The Ferrer sisters did it all on their own.
Ana and Maria both hail from Mazatlan, MX, over 2,000 miles away from Big Rapids, where their childhood was comprised of playing tennis tournaments across the country.
The two were inspired to play tennis by their grandparents, uncle and mother playing before them.
The sisters have been playing tennis since the young age of seven and never looked back after their parents told them they had to get a scholarship to a university because they wouldn’t be able to pay for both of their studies.
“My parents don’t speak much English, so it was up to my sister and I to contact coaches without any advice, not to mention trying to get a student visa,” Maria said. “We both recorded videos of us playing tennis and sent it to coaches all over the United States. We had in mind that there was a possibility we would have to separate and go to different universities.”
The Ferrers’ talents were noticed by head coach Mark Doren, who wanted both sisters to play for Ferris. Ana said this offer “caught their attention,” allowing them to travel and play together again. With the distance between them, Doren took them on a virtual tour of Ferris over a video call to introduce them to the school and tennis facilities.
Doren recalled the recruitment of the sisters and the quick impact they had on the women’s team dynamic.
“Ana and Maria were the first players I ever recruited from Mexico,” Doren said. “Right away they were awesome to talk to and they helped me learn more about tennis in Mexico. They quickly made an impact as freshman and have since won many important matches. But it’s not just their success on the court, it’s the impact they’ve made on our team culture. Both are very kind and considerate, but it’s their sense of humor that has helped our fun team dynamic.”
Doren also set the sisters up with contacts with active players at the time to grow their chemistry with the team, including junior Parker Nolan.
Nolan spoke to the Ferrers during their recruitment in their freshman year.
“In just my first call with them, I thought ‘Wow, these girls really love tennis,’” Nolan said. “They were so kind and genuinely excited at the prospect of continuing their tennis career.”
The sisters decided to join the Ferris team and make the day-long journey permanent to continue their tennis careers.
Maria reminisced on the conversations with her parents about moving away from home.
“My parents encouraged us to study abroad,” Maria said. “As a joke, we said we were going to find a school as far away as possible and we ended up in Big Rapids.”
The sisters joined the women’s squad in the fall of 2022 for their freshman year and were inserted in the lineup for just the second match of the season as a doubles team.
Despite the similar rules, the tennis play in Mexico differs from Michigan’s playstyle. Ana found it difficult to adjust to the differences between countries at first.
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“The tournaments in Mexico were completely different because they were always individual,” Ana said. “Here, there are individual matches, but you represent the team and the university, so it makes it much more enjoyable and exciting.”
The sister’s freshman year ended with the team missing the GLIAC playoffs, but not without Ana earning an all-GLIAC team honorable mention.
Maria and Ana found it challenging to adapt to the new way of life, being thousands of miles away from their first home, but with them facing the task together, they adjusted to Ferris with guidance from the community.
A fellow teammate of the Ferrers, senior Amelia Laverdiere is no stranger to adjusting to a new country either. Laverdiere came to play tennis at Ferris from Quebec, Canada.
“Being with other international students means we can relate with things,” Laverdiere said. “Even if we’re far away from home, we all learn so much about being on our own and meeting people who can help us positively.”
The Ferris tennis programs are known to recruit internationally, with four of the 11 women’s team members from different countries.
Ana and Maria are both flourishing for the Bulldogs in their second season and aiming toward a GLIAC championship ring later this month. Beneath the surface of their athletic play, the sisters’ perseverance and adaptability shine bright through their characters.
“With the help of my friends, team and coach, I realized even though I was far away from family, I was forming another family here in Big Rapids,” Maria said. “At the end of the day, I wouldn’t trade the memories I’ve made here for anything.”
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