26 CAVALIER CORNER
BY MELISSA DUDEK
F
ourth-year women's tennis player
Sofia Munera grew up in Pereira,
Colombia, a midsize city in the foot-
hills of the Andes in the midst of
the "Coffee Axis."
"Coffee is just such a big part of the
culture," Munera said. "If you walk into any
house in Pereira, there's always going to be
coffee ready to serve to you. I know people
think about coffee when they think about
Colombia, but it is also green and every-
thing is beautiful.
"The culture is very welcoming. The peo-
ple are just very happy, and it's a really cool
environment. I love Colombia."
Munera's pride in her home nation has
been more than just lip service. She has
worn yellow, blue and red, representing
Colombia on the world stage for almost a
decade. As a junior, she was the top-ranked
player in Colombia in the 12, 14, 16 and 18
age brackets, playing for her country in nu-
merous international competitions, includ-
ing the Junior Fed Cup.
Her training began in earnest in Colom-
bia, but it was a vacation to the United
States that made Munera first decide to
focus on tennis.
"When I was growing up, my parents and
my two older brothers played tennis, but
just as a hobby," she said. "It was very rec-
reational."
LEAVING
HER
MARK
Doubles All-American
Sofia Munera
Has Made The Most
Of Her Time At UVA
