Maureen Modesto

Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Highland, Ind.
High School:
Munster H.S.

Dominant Hand: Right

Outlook: Winning two matches, Maureen advanced to the semifinals of the C bracket at the Jayhawk Invitational before falling to Kansas State.

"Maureen is one of the most positive people you'll ever meet. She is a very consistent player and will run balls down all day long. She is crafty, and has the ability to drive opponents nuts with deceptive consistency. She is in great shape, has a lot of fight, and knows how to keep the ball in play," said Missouri Head Coach Blake Starkey. "Opponents really pay a price if they play undisciplined, or give up sloppy errors. She had great success during her freshman campaign, and we're looking forward to another solid year from her."

Maureen was born in Chicago, and is the daughter of Bob and Julie Modesto. She began hitting balls when she was four years old, but tennis did not become a big part of her life until she was eight. Her father, Bob, is an established teaching pro in the Chicago area, and was Maureen's primary coach as well as her high school coach. She is the oldest of three sisters, and all of the Modestos play tennis competitively. She was a regular on the national circuit throughout her junior career, has been ranked as high as No. 1 in the Midwest Section and always been ranked in the top 10 in the Midwest throughout her entire career. She took second in state as a freshman, second as sophomore and her team took second her junior year with Maureen playing No. 1 her entire career. Maureen has won 14 United States Tennis Association (USTA) sportsmanship awards and holds an Indiana record for playing the most matches (181) in one calendar year. Maureen also ran track during high school. Her teammates will quickly tell you her matches involve running, endurance, and being able to hit more balls than you probably want to. Following a match at the National Clay Courts, an opponent was quoted in the Memphis newspaper saying "She's a nightmare," and her coaches like that nickname.In one of her early highlights as a Tiger; Maureen won the "B" Flight of the Iowa Invitational.

When she's not on the court, Maureen enjoys spending time with family and friends, going to amusement parks, going on vacation anywhere, working out and shopping. She specifically does not like being beaten in anything, being alone, and spiders completely "gross her out"! While there are many interesting things about her, Maureen considers the fact that she likes to wake up before the sun comes up (to run) to be an interesting thing about her.

Favorite Food: California Pizza Kitchen Hero: Both of her grandmothers Favorite Actor: Matthew McConaughey Favorite Athlete: Andy Roddick Favorite Actress: Reese Witherspoon Favorite Tennis Player: Martina Hingis Favorite Web Site: www.nordstrom.com Favorite Book: Harry Potter Favorite Movie: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days What Maureen is listening to now: Pop What Maureen is reading now: An Ordinary Man Career Conference Wins: Iowa State, Nebraska