It took Marina Cozac a while to find her passion, but with the help of her family she did.
Cozac played many sports as a child. She tried soccer, swimming, volleyball, basketball and cheerleading before picking up a tennis racquet for the first time.
“I was cheerleading for a boys’ football team on the sideline, but I wanted to play, to be a part of the action,” Cozac, a junior tennis player at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said.
Tennis came into Cozac’s life when her grandfather introduced her to the sport at age 5. Oddly enough, her grandfather didn’t know how to play, either.
“He read a book about tennis and decided he would teach me,” Cozac said. “Although he didn’t have a background in tennis, he taught me how to play and was my coach for 10 years.”
Cozac said some of her fondest memories growing up are walking the four-mile trek to her tennis class with her grandfather. She was originally signed up for a beginner’s class in tennis, but when the instructor saw what she could do, he asked to move her to the advanced class.
From there, Cozac played in tournaments in Dallas, her hometown, competing against 12-year-olds while she was just 8. She took home state titles competing against kids much older than her.
At the age of 12, Cozac competed with a team of the best players in Texas at a national competition. From there she said she knew tennis was the sport for her.
“At that tournament, I heard stories about how similar it is to be part of a college tennis team and play against other colleges,” Cozac said. “It was then when I knew that I couldn’t wait to play college tennis and play for a team.”
While she got the skills from her grandfather, Cozac said her mother gave her the mental strength to play the sport well. Her mother went to every match to show support. She received lots of support, but she said it was her mother who taught her how to not let people get inside her head.
She lost two games in a match at one of the state tournaments and said she was sure she would lose the match. Before she returned to the court, her mother stepped in and gave her some advice.
“My mom gave me my water bottle, looked into my eyes and said ‘Don’t worry, this is all your opponent is going to get out of you in this match.’ And she was right,” Cozac said. “I was certain my mom already knew the outcome.”
When it was finally time to play tennis in college, she chose to start her career at DePaul University in Chicago.
There, she earned 45 wins in two seasons, going 17-8 in her first season and 22-17 in her second. She played in the No. 2 and No. 3 positions. But the Big East wasn’t enough for her passionate heart.
“I really wanted to play tennis at a Big Ten school, and I wanted to study at a research
university,” Cozac said. “Now, after being in Nebraska for just six months, I love everything about it.”
This season, Cozac said she wants to make a big impact for the Huskers. Head coach Scott Jacobson said he is excited for the work ethic Cozac brings to the team.
“If I have to say one thing about Marina, she has an excellent work ethic,” Jacobson said. “She is committed to the team, the sport and her studies.”
Cozac said she almost can’t believe she is playing for Nebraska. Her dream of playing at a large university is almost complete, and she is thankful every day.
Now that Cozac has reached her goal, she said she is most thankful for the backing of her mother and grandfather. Without them she may not have been able to call herself a Husker.
“My mom gave me in mental toughness what my grandfather gave me in physical strength and preparation,” Cozac said. “I definitely couldn’t have made it this far without them.”
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