Click to the right to see a special interview with NAU Tennis star Orsi Golovics.

Check out the video interview with NAU tennis ace Orsi Golovics by Lumberjack sports writer Brandon Smith.

Hungarian-born and in a fish-out-of-water situation, junior tennis player Orsi Golovics found solace and friendship through her teammates as she adjusted to American life. A business administration major, Golovics has had success at NAU through tennis and looks to continue improving through the rest of this season. Recently, she sat down with The Lumberjack to discuss her life, various quirks and more.

The Lumberjack: You’re from Hungary; did you know anyone who participated in this past Olympics?

Orsi Golovics: Yes — Marton Bene, alpine skier. I knew him because we played tennis on the same court back home.

LJ:  Did you watch Hungary in the Olympics? What was your favorite event?

OG: Yes, I tried to catch the Hungarians, especially Marton, but they didn’t really show them. The one sport I had never watched before now is hockey. It is so exciting, and I am amazed by those athletes. I also watched alpine skiing and figure skating. Hungary didn’t do very well overall, but winter sports are not that popular at home, so I wasn’t expecting a bunch of gold medals.

Emily Carpenter / The Lumberjack

LJ: You have been paired up with Malia Wahinepio in doubles, and you two were the 35th-ranked pair in the nation. How did you feel about that coming into the season?

OG: I had to read it to myself 10 times when I first saw it over winter break. It was very exciting. Malia and I talked to each other after we heard the news. It gave us a lot of confidence.

LJ: When you practice, how do you make each other better?

OG: Coach Kim Bruno has us practicing more doubles this year — about 50 percent of the time now. It wasn’t like that in the previous year. Playing more doubles helps us get better the more we play together.

LJ:  Is there a particular story you’d like to share from the times you’ve had with your teammates?

OG: One story that always makes me smile is when we were in Phoenix as we were leaving from the Cheesecake Factory after dinner. We passed a fountain, and coach says, “I’ll give $5 to anyone who jumps in the fountain and swims a lap.” Malia and I immediately volunteered. So everyone started to pull out the cameras and promise they would give $5 each if we do it. So we took off the shoes and jumped. Everyone started crying from laughter! We took our lap, although after I made it through halfway, I jumped out because it was the coldest water I had ever been in. Malia did the lap, and then we walked back to the van where we had to sit in the back.

LJ: What’s your favorite animal?

OG: A dolphin — sometimes I wish I was one!

LJ: What are some of the things you and your team are looking to achieve the rest of this season?

OG: To beat Sac State! We always come out second in the Big Sky, and I am very tired of it. I know we have to work really hard, but nothing is for free. I believe we are on the right path and getting stronger physically and closer as a team.

The one thing we’re missing [is] that we should believe in victory and not get scared when we face them. We just need to keep up the hard work, and we’ll have nothing to worry about.

LJ: What question would you like to ask the next participant in JackChat?

OG: What is the best day of your life?