Oct. 13, 2003

By Sara Hunninghake
Mizzou Media Relations

There are many reasons why Shen Danru shouldn't be smiling right now.

After all, most people in a situation similar to the Missouri sophomore's would have quit long ago. They might have thrown in the towel, blown this Popsicle stand called life in the United States and returned home to a place that was familiar, where people spoke a language she understood.

But then again, Danru isn't like most people.

She has more fight in her than that. What it all boils down to is that the game this native of Shanghai, China, fell in love with at home is basically the same in Columbia, Mo. And that's all Danru needs to know. From there, everything else has fallen into place.

Danru didn't give up, and she has good reason to display her goofy, ear-splitting smile that lights up the volleyball court. It's a permanent fixture on her face, and it's contagious. You can't help but smile whenever you're around her.

But that smile hides a lot. Most people don't know that Danru has not been home in four years. Or that her parents have never seen her play. Or that she could not speak English when she first came to the United States in 2000.

Instead of dwelling on it, Danru has become a pro in coming up with creative solutions to the challenging situations she faces.

Danru was first introduced to volleyball at age seven by a coach at her elementary school in Shanghai. While soccer is the most popular sport in China, Danru was more interested in volleyball because "it was a safe sport," and people didn't "attack each other," as with other contact-oriented sports.

Danru first found out about Mizzou through one of her high school coaches, who was friends with MU assistants Deng Yang and Chen Feng. Making the transition from China to the United States was a major one, but support from Danru's parents made it easier.

"My family told me to just go and practice as much as I could," she said. "They wanted me to try new stuff and give myself more of a chance to play here."

Initially, Danru spent her first year in Missouri studying English through an intensive language program. Even now, the thought of that first year makes Danru's already big brown eyes even bigger.

"I couldn't understand anything, and I couldn't speak," she said with a laugh. "Everything was so new and different from China. But people were really friendly. They knew I was foreign, and they helped me a lot."

In 2001, Danru redshirted, a decision that allowed her to practice with the team, in addition to polishing her skills and becoming more comfortable with the language and communication on the court.

One would think sitting through college classes in an unfamiliar language would make it practically impossible to learn anything.

While Danru's English has significantly improved, she admits that understanding lectures in her business classes is still difficult even to this day. However, she has come up with the perfect plan to pass her classes.

"I just try to make friends in the class so I can have the notes," she said. "And I email the professor a lot. Even if I ask them hundreds of questions, they're still so nice. But they probably think, 'Did you go to class?'"

While Danru continues to learn the ins-and-outs of life as an American college student, she has had no problem adjusting on the volleyball court. In 2002, her first official season as a Tiger, Danru dominated, leading the team in three categories: digs (361), kills (477) and service aces (64).

This season has been no different. Danru picked up right where she left off, already earning the designation of Big 12 Player of the Week on Sept. 29. So far, she is averaging 3.46 digs and 4.05 kills. She has had eight double-doubles this season, including five in MU's seven Big 12 matches.

Although Danru enjoys the United States, there are still many things she misses about her home country. Chinese food, for instance, and her parents. She usually talks to them twice a week, but the best medicine for homesickness has been her hectic schedule.

"I'm so busy, I don't have time to think about my family," she said.

Of course, the biggest thing that takes up her time is volleyball. Danru is in her element on the court, especially when she's controlling the ball in the back row. Passing and digging are her favorite aspects of the game, a passion that has carried over from her playing days in China.

"The game is really similar in China, except for the language difference and the cheerleaders and the band," Danru said. "I was really surprised (by the band) the first time I watched a match. It was more about having fun and cheering for our team, not just playing volleyball. That's pretty cool."

You know that Danru busted out her infamous smile at the sight of Truman the Tiger and "Point Mizzou". It seems only fitting that she hasn't stopped smiling since.