ON THE BOARDS with Valeriya Berezhynska
11/8/2004 It's BACK! ON THE BOARDS returns for another season, and with the Lady Owls opening the 2004-05 season this Friday, there's no better time to start. This week's segment features freshman Valeriya Berezhynska. Read on to find out more about the newcomer from Miami, Fla.
Val, as she's known to her teammates and coaches, is one of five freshmen to join the Rice squad this season. At six-foot-four, Valeriya is the tallest Lady Owl on the roster. Originally from the Ukraine, she played high school ball in Miami, Fla. She wants to major in sports management and managerial studies, and is from Will Rice College.
Favorites
Food: Cuban
Meal: country fried steak with mashed potatoes, gravy and corn
Movie: "White Chicks" (It's hilarious! I've seen it seven times.)
TV Shows: Girlfriends, Fresh Prince, and America's Next Top Model
Actor: Will Smith and Martin Lawrence
Class at Rice: Sports Management
Season: Spring (we get out of school and it' my birthday!)
Holiday: Christmas
Athletes: Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony
Coach McKinney saying: "Day off tomorrow"
Three words that describe me are: friendly, honest, loud.
The thing I like most about being a Lady Owl is: Everyone on the team is good.
If I could bring one thing from home it would be: My family in Ukraine and the beach in Miami!
I started playing basketball... consistently in the seventh grade because my dad used to play.
My dream job is: to work for the Miami Heat.
My post-Rice ambition is: to get a Ph.D. and move back to Miami.
The Lady Owl to watch out for this season is: All five freshmen.
The greatest risk I've ever taken is: letting my mom cut my hair because she saw a "cute" hairstyle in a magazine. After she was done, it was the farthest thing from "cute."
The team I would most like to add to our schedule is: University of Miami.
My most embarrassing moment was: Remember the "cute" hair cut? I had to go to school with my hair looking like a mop the next morning.
The best advice I've ever been given is: Be open for a change, but don't give up your values.
The one thing I'd like to say, but you didn't ask is: If I had another chance to pick a school, I'd still pick Rice. I love my teammates and coaches! |
