Arizona's freshman tennis player Marie Van Aelst hasn't always had a storybook love affair with tennis. But after coming to Tucson, she's found a team and family that has reaffirmed her dedication and love for the game.

In Belgium, Van Aelst grew up in a tennis family, so it seemed natural she would be a tennis player herself. But like most things in life, it wasn't that simple.

"My mom played her whole life and my cousins also started playing at a young age," Van Aelst said. "But at first it wasn't my thing, and I was angry about having to go to practice."

Eventually, her anger of having to go to practice subsided and the young Van Aelst grew to have passion and natural talent for the game, just like so many others in her family. However, even with her love for tennis and the success she was having on the court, the isolation of competing in an individual sport weighed heavy on Van Aelst.

"I quit tennis two years ago for a couple of months," Van Aelst said. "In Belgium, tennis is an individual sport and mentally that is really hard. So I really wanted to do a team sport."

But after a brief stint competing in track and field, Van Aelst could not stay away and returned to the court rejuvenated.

"The two months I took off made me realize how much passion I have for the sport," Van Aelst said. "So now I go on the court and just do my thing."

As her skills grew on the court, Van Aelst began to think about the next step in career, and where she would continue playing. Luckily for Arizona, she found an instant connection with head coach Vicky Maes.

"Vicky [Maes] is also from Belgium," Van Aelst said. "Our first contact over Skype was done in Dutch, so we really had a connection."

With that relationship forged, Van Aelst came to Arizona ready to compete against some of the best players in the country, and to finally be a part of a team.

"Having a team is great, they are always there for you and they always have your back," Van Aelst said.

Van Aelst wasn't the only one excited to be a part of the Arizona team though. Coach Maes is equally happy about having the fellow Belgium native.

"Marie is an exceptional athlete," Maes said. "Her energy and intensity on the court are unmatched. She has a load of talent and will grow into a fine player over the next few years. Already she has improved so much and it's been a true joy watching her get excited about those changes."

These days Van Aelst isn't too worried about her passion for the game wavering, or feeling mentally drained.

"I love tennis," Van Aelst said. "It's my thing. I love being on the court. And now I have a team, I'm not alone anymore… This is a beautiful opportunity for me and this is what I want to be doing."

Follow Van Aelst and the Wildcat tennis team as they take on Northern Arizona University in Tucson on Saturday, January 28 at 10 a.m. MST.

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