Athlete Spotlight

Liz Currey

Hometown Stanwood, Wash.

High School Stanwood

Year Senior

Major Music Education

Liz Currey has had a long road back from a concussion suffered during her freshman season. She is now playing some of the best tennis of her collegiate career and is ranked No. 2 on this year's team in singles. Liz also plays No. 2 doubles and has provided strong leadership and stability to a young and improving PLU women's tennis team.

Describe your family. How have they helped you in your athletic career?
My mom and dad have always supported me and my athletic career. They have always tried their best to be there to watch me play my matches, even when I was playing soccer and volleyball prior to tennis. My brother likes to play tennis, too, when he gets a chance, but he can’t make it to as many matches as my parents do.

Describe any hardships or extenuation circumstances that you have faced to get to where you are today.
Freshman year at PLU I came in as number one singles and doubles, then suffered from a concussion that January, and it has been a challenge through the years getting my complete mental tennis game back. I have improved every year and feel the best this year so far.

What factors led to your decision to attend PLU?
The well-known music program, good distance away from home, and the tennis program that I learned about through the coach at the time (Janel McFeat). I also had a friend who went to PLU and loved it, he was a band nerd with me in high school.

Have you studied abroad? If so, describe your experiences?
I studied abroad over J-term of 2007 for a philosophy class. We traveled to Germany, England, and Greece, and it was a great trip, as well as a great class. We were able to visit the Parthenon in Greece, and the Holocaust memorial in Germany, as well as King’s College in Cambridge England, and I will always remember that experience.

What has been your favorite class at PLU?
That is a difficult question! So many…music classes have been the best, and power aerobics, but along with those are Philosophy class with Greg Johnson (the study abroad trip), and Christian Theology with Dr. Peterson.

Have you had any trouble balancing athletics with academics?
It was really challenging my sophomore year because music education really started to take a lot more time than expected, and I basically had to be in two places at once. Balancing my major with tennis was difficult, but it actually taught me how to manage my time better (which is a good skill to have now that I do!).

What are your plans after college?
I plan on going to grad school for studies in learning and education and jazz studies, then eventually teach as well as coach tennis.

When your athletic career is all said and done, what is it that you would want people to say about you?
I would want them to say that I never gave up, I managed to fit in tennis with music education and music education with tennis. I worked my hardest and realized that there is more to just playing tennis. It's about making relationships on the team, being a counselor, best friend, authority, and keeping a good attitude knowing that’s it’s all for good fun and its an opportunity to play a college sport.

Describe your hometown and what you miss about it the most.
My hometown is Stanwood, Wash. I miss being more in the country, beautiful scenery, my family, my high school coaches and some teachers, always running into someone you know, and always being able to find somebody to hit with.

What's your favorite spot on campus?
Definitely the track when it is nice out. Either in the morning, afternoon, or especially at sunset, it is gorgeous and you can spend a lot of time relaxing out there, whether playing tennis, running, or just hanging out.

What is your favorite restaurant in Tacoma?
I don’t think this restaurant is specific to Tacoma, but I love Red Robin…Marzano’s is great too if you have the money.

What music is playing in your ipod right now?
One song? Or bands?...For bands, Beck, Cake, Enya, Glen Miller, old school hip hop, some new school hip hop, Raconteurs, Billy Holiday, Coldplay, and lots of random mixes of rap, rock, and folk rock.

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