Zsofia Lanstiak is a junior psychology major from Hungary who plays tennis for Lewis University. She enjoys being part of a team after playing individually in Hungary. Lanstiak began playing tennis at age 3 with her father and has played competitively since age 9 or 10. Her current coach recruited her to come to Lewis from Hungary. While she misses her family and Hungarian food and culture, Lanstiak has adjusted well to life in America and continues to excel on the tennis court, recently being named GLVC Player of the Year.

1. Zsofia Lanstiak isn't your ordinary Lewis athlete. She's nearly 5,000 miles away from
home. Lanstiak is a friendly, humble junior psychology major who left behind her native
Hungary to join the Lewis tennis team.
While she was in Hungary, she played individually, so when she arrived here at Lewis
she welcomed having teammates with open arms.
“In Hungary, I was playing tournaments as an individual and here I’m playing as part
of a team. The focus is on being part of a team. It’s awesome that you have people to rely on.”
Fresh off a workout, donning a Lewis t-shirt and a Nike baseball cap, Lanstiak spoke
openly about her tennis beginnings, her time at Lewis, missing home and her future after she
graduates.
She recalls the moment when she picked up a tennis racket for the first time. Smiling,
she fondly remembers it was her father, Attila, who also plays tennis, who got her into playing
the sport that she loves. “I was three when I first started playing tennis, I haven’t stopped since
then,” Lanstiak said.
She began playing in tournaments at age nine or 10. Tennis runs in the family. Besides
her father, her grandmother and sister also play.
It was her current coach, coach Bridel, who convinced her to come play for Lewis. “Everything
happened pretty fast after he came to watch me play in Hungary,” Lanstiak said. “He was the
main reason I decided to come here.”
When she arrived at Lewis she battled being homesick, and getting accustomed to the
lifestyle, language and food of a different country, it has been a smooth transition for her ever
since.
“At first it was kind of hard to get used to English around me all the time. It was kind
of shocking,” Lanstiak said. “It was hard getting used to the food. I miss Hungarian food like
crazy, I crave it sometimes.”
Lanstiak attended a 5-year bilingual high school, and was required to pass the SAT and
the TOEFL test (Test of English as a Foreign Language) before arriving at Lewis.
Smiling at a teammate who walked by, she speaks about missing her family. She came
over on her own and left her family behind. Their support for her has remained un-wavering, and
she keeps in touch with them as often as she can.
“I have one and a half years left and I don’t want it to end. I miss my family but its ok,
we talk, we Skype and exchange emails. I miss my friends too, but I know I will always have
them,” Lanstiak said.

2. In 2010 she ranked 58th in women's singles in Hungary, she attributes a couple of her
coaches from back home as having major influences on her career.
“My coaches back home had a huge impact on my game and my attitude towards
tennis. I changed a lot through the years, mentally I became much stronger. Without them I don’t
think I would be able to be here,” Lanstiak said.
She remained modest when speaking of herself, but last season in singles play she
finished 36-2 and was selected the GLVC player of the year. Riding a 30 game winning streak,
she capped off the season ranked 25th in the country.
In doubles, it was more or less the same. Partnered with Zsofia Kranczicki (who is also
from Hungary) the duo finished the season 36-3.
There is also a professional player Lanstiak idolizes. It isn't Serena Williams or Maria
Sharapova, it's Australian Samantha Stosur, who is currently ranked number nine in the world.
Although admitting she doesn't get to watch much tennis, she models her game after Stosur.
“I started to follow her when she wasn’t really a big deal, and I thought she was going
to be really good,” Lanstiak said. “I really like her style and the way she plays, many people tell
me that I play like her, it’s a huge compliment.”
Also fluent in Hungarian and German, Lanstiak spoke about channeling most of her
energy into being the best tennis player she can be, she is also very excited and passionate about
sports psychology.
This season Lanstiak is hopeful the women's team can again reach the national
tournament and possibly even get passed the Sweet 16. True to her previous comments, she
beamed with excitement when speaking about the two freshmen, or “freshies” as she playfully
calls them, who joined the team this year.
“It would be awesome if we could repeat last year; I think we will be really good this
season. I see a lot of potential in the freshmen,” Lanstiak said.
Lanstiak is unsure whether she will stay in the U.S. or return home to Hungary after she
graduates next year.
“I don’t know if I will stay when I graduate. Sometimes I say yes, sometimes I say no.
It depends on many things,” Lanstiak said. “If you were to ask me now, I would say yes.”
Whichever she decides, it was her dream to come to the U.S. to study and play tennis
and she has done just that.