Serve and Volley: Junior Melissa Minor
4/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
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Melissa Minor is a native of Vestavia, Alabama and is in her junior season with the Crimson Tide. She is a two-time SEC All-Academic selection and two-time recipient of the team’s 110 percent award. As of April 7, 2005 Minor has 37 career singles victories and 41 career doubles wins at Alabama.
The Serve: You’re fresh off spring break so you should be set to go for a rigorous game of Serve and Volley, right?
The Volley: Oh yeah! Let’s go.
S: Your teammates have all given us something that sets them apart, so give us some insight into who Melissa Minor really is? What do you like to do away from the tennis courts and anything that may get a television crew out to do a story?
V: Oh gosh! I don’t really know anything unique except that I’m big into my family. I’ve always been close to them and they are probably the most important thing to me. I like to shop! I like to have “me time” too though. Being in tennis, (the team) is always around each other and so I like to have some time alone.
S: You are one of three girls on the team from the state of Alabama. What does it mean to you personally to be able to play tennis close to home at the University of Alabama?
V: Well, I’m glad to be close to home and it means a lot to me, again, because my family is close. I feel lucky that I get the chance to represent my home state and Alabama. I also think it is neat that there are three of us from Alabama. We all knew each other growing up, Natalie, Ashley and I. We competed against one another so it’s neat to have them here. It’s also cool that we have so many girls from all over the world. It’s been great to get to learn about different cultures and I think we all bring something different to the team.
S: You’re also a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. Is it true that your sorority has a song and if so, would you care to sing it for us?
V: Ahh! yes! Well, I actually went inactive last year. But okay...Yeah, I can sing it...
S: No wait, you really don’t have to sing it.
V: We do have a song. We have lots of songs.
S: So who is your dream doubles partner?
V: My dream doubles partner...? (Long, long, long pause)
S: Anyone at all?
V: I don’t know...
S: You think about it and we’ll come back to that question later. I know the girls on the team call you Mel, and the origin of that is obvious. Have you ever had any other interesting nicknames?
V: My granddad called me Missy. In high school my friends called me Lil’ Mo.
S: Care to share your most embarrassing tennis moment?
V: Wow, I am not good at this...Okay, one time I was playing against this girl and...wait no, that was Natalie. I nailed a girl in the head with a tennis ball before.
S: That certainly would be embarrassing. Alright, back to an earlier question. Have you thought of a dream doubles partner yet?
V: Yes. Michael Chang. I just remember him having a strong faith and I think that I would just like to talk to him about that because that’s important to me.
