At 4 years old, Michelle Pits had her first opportunity to play tennis. As a teenager she qualified to play singles and doubles in the Australian Open, and now, as a sophomore in college, Pits has big plans this year for her team at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Last season, Pits finished 4-3 in conference and 7-11 in duals. This year, she is working hard to become a more aggressive player to get a better winning record. As a team she hopes to win the Big West Championship and get further in Nationals.

“I felt like I was adjusting for a little bit too long,” said Pits. “I know what I need to change now and I know what to do and I’m going to put in the hard work, and hopefully I’ll get there. “

During her freshman season last year, Pits not only had to deal with the struggles of being a student athlete at a college level, she had to learn to adjust to a whole new country.

“This was the first time in America for me,” said Pits. “ It was a lot different, but in some ways it’s similar as well… I’m pretty easy with transitioning because I traveled a lot with tennis. It wasn’t that tough. Definitely a great experience.”

Besides school, Pits has to attend 8 hours of practices per week with conditioning, individuals, and weight training during her off season. When season starts on September 30th, the team will start practicing 20 hours a week.

“20 hours a week plus school is very grueling but it’s great at the same time… That’s when our hard work starts,” said Pits.

Pits and the rest of the UH squad will kick off their season on January 4.