May 20, 2005

Emma Murphy came to the University of San Diego three seasons ago more as a soccer player than a tennis player. Originally scheduled to go to the University of Pacific on a soccer scholarship, she decided at the last moment that spending four years in Stockton, Calif. was just not for her. Instead, she accepted the opportunity to play for women's tennis head coach Sherri Stephens at the University of San Diego and the native from Cork, Ireland has flourished ever since. This season, Murphy is enjoying success on all levels of collegiate tennis. By virtue of her 23-7 overall record, she has garnered a national ranking of No. 35 after beating seven ranked players, including No. 19 Zsuzsanna Fodor of Mississippi State and No. 22 Margarita Karnaukhova of Sacramento State. After leading the Toreros to a second-place finish at the 2005 West Coast Conference Championships in late April, Murphy was named to the All-WCC Singles Team for the third straight year. In addition, coaches agreed that she was the conference's most outstanding player once again, claiming her second consecutive WCC Player of the Year honor. Prior to competing in the NCAA Singles Championships in Athens, Georgia on Monday, May 23, the Communications major sat down with Roland Hu for a Q & A session.

1. How did you spend your summer?

I was so excited to go back home. I'm out here for so long, so I was anticipating going back home for so long. Finally, when I got home, I was so happy. I am from Cork, but I actually lived in Dublin for the summer. I hung out with my best friends all summer. I didn't really work much. I didn't play a lot of tennis either! I went to the gym a few times, but I was just basically hanging out with my friends and going out a lot at night, things like that. I loved being at home.

So you spent your summer in Dublin. Were you working there or...

No, I wasn't really working. I was just hanging out with my best friend because she lives in Dublin. All my friends live in Dublin because it is the capital and everything goes on over there. I was just hanging out, going to the gym... I don't know what I did last summer, but I just had a brilliant summer. I did a whole lot of nothing, but it was brilliant!

Did you go on any vacations?

One of my best friend's family bought me a holiday ticket to Portugal for two weeks. So myself and one of my best friends went off to Portugal, everything paid for, so it was absolutely brilliant. The weather was gorgeous and we just hung out.

So you went to the beaches in Portugal?

Oh yeah. I also laid out by the pool a lot because you know the weather in Ireland is terrible, so when Irish people go abroad, all they do is lay out because it is the only bit of sun we'll get the whole summer! So we take full advantage of it.

So how do the beaches in Portugal compare to the beaches in San Diego?

I think I am kind of used to the beaches in San Diego, though I don't get down there a lot, but you know, any new place is like you are so amazed by it all, so I'd rather go to the beaches in Portugal. And being in the whole European culture is nicer for me.

What do you plan on doing this summer?

This summer, I am going home on the first of June and I am actually going to Turkey on the fourth of June for 10 days with my friends and family. We actually have a house out there in Turkey that we bought a few months ago because property is so cheap out there. Then I'll come back and I am going to work and coach in a tennis club a few hours a day. Then, I'll just hang out with friends and enjoy being at home. Spend some quality time with my family because they always complain that I don't spend any quality time with them and that I take it all up with my friends. I have to do that.

Family obligations?

Family obligations, you said it. My mother would kill me otherwise!

2. So recently, we just celebrated St. Patrick's Day. What are some key differences do you notice in the way the U.S. does St. Patrick's Day compared to Ireland?

First of all, I think St. Patrick's Day over here is a lot bigger. It is just an excuse for the Americans to party whereas in Ireland, it is a big deal, but it isn't half as big as it is over here. We don't even wear the green like everyone does here. I was amazed how everyone wore green and everything, whereas over there, we just wear a shamrock, a real piece of shamrock, on our clothes. We go to Mass, go to the Parade, and that's it, really. It's not really exciting and it's kind of a boring day, to be honest. Over here, it's like Americans Gone Wild, any excuse for them to go wild, I suppose.

How did you celebrate it?

Actually, I think we had a match the following day, so that night, I had an intramural soccer game, which we won of course. I played the soccer game and had corn beef and cabbage at my friends house. She made it for me, even though we don't even have that at home, but I pretended to her that that's what we have at home all the time. So we had corn beef and cabbage and went home early because we had a match the next day. Professional attitude.

At times like these, like St. Patrick's Day, does it make you miss home?

Yeah, of course. You know, like on all those holidays, St. Patrick's Day, Mother's Day, stuff like that, you are always thinking, I could be home now or I wonder what my friends are doing right now. There's always that element of homesickness when these days come around. But then you think about being in beautiful, sunny San Diego and they are over there trudging through the snow on their way to class. So I think I have the advantage at the end of the day. There are times where I do feel very homesick, like now. All I want to do is just go home.

The native of Cork, Ireland is a big fan of The Cheesecake Factory and their chicken and biscuits.

Oh yes, I was the most homesick person that ever walked into San Diego. I cried all the time. It's not so much that I hated it here, but I just missed home so much. A fish out of water. Everything was a shock - culture shock, different people, even different food. Once I got over that initial stage, I was fine, but it took me a whole year. And as I said, I was very, very homesick. Like someone would ask me how I was and I would start crying.

I also heard that for your first collegiate match, you were beating this woman and you started crying?

Oh yes! In one of my matches, I think it was my fourth match ever, I was playing this girl from Arizona University, who was ranked. I won the first set 7-6 and I sat down at the change of end and I broke down in tears because I just wanted to go home so bad.

What do you think your opponent thought of you then?

I think she thought I was the biggest weirdo ever because I was winning and I was bawling crying. I think she looked at me like I had 10 heads. But then it all changed. I met an Irish family who had been living in America for over 42 years and they know my dad in Cork. So they rang me up one random night and invited me to come over for dinner. Ever since then, I always go over to their house and they come to my matches all the time. They are like my second family now, so they've made my time much better and easier.

3. Who is your favorite Torero athlete to watch?

The only sports that I go to watch are soccer, to be honest. Yeah, soccer. Baseball and football... I haven't gotten used to them yet. The soccer matches, I like the feisty players, the ones who are willing to get stuck in anything... I also like watching Helene [Lindstrand] on our team. She gets really mad, but I think it is fun to watch people like that, rather than the boring kind who just moves from side to side when they lose or win the point. When you see Helene, you never know what you are going to get.

What about favorite athletes overall?

There is this Irish soccer player, Damien Duff, he's one of our best soccer players. He's internationally well-known and everything. A brilliant player and I like him a lot because he's really down-to-earth and everything despite his fame. He's obviously a great player, but like I said, he's maintained his personality despite the fame.

Have you ever met him?

No, I've never met him, but I've watched him play loads of times.

What about tennis players?

I always loved Steffi Graf, but she's an old granny now, so I can't really like her that much now! Who do I like now... I like watching the Russians, you know Elena Dementieva, [Anastasia] Myskina... again, they have personality on the court. I like their temper and everything. I like Kim Clijsters as well. As for men, I like [Guillermo] Coria from Argentina because he's got a bit of personality as well. Sometimes I'll see him throwing a few racquets and I respect that.

Do you think you have a personality out on court?

Yes, I definitely do have a personality on the court. If it is going my way and I am winning pretty easily, I tend to be pretty well-behaved. If it isn't going my way, I am renowned for throwing a racquet here or there and shouting a few words that I am not supposed to shout. I don't think my temper affects me that much on the court. I am able to put a bad point behind me... but yes, I definitely have a temper, an Irish temper. So it's not my fault, it's my culture's fault!

4. So I hear you have a very unique nickname. I've heard some call you Legend. Why is that and where did it come from?

Yeah, Sherri calls me Legend and a lot of the girls on the team call me Legend because when I first came here, I used to be like about every tennis girl, "Oh she's such a legend!" because in Ireland, it is a very common word, like legend means you are really good at something. So I was about everyone, "Oh, she's such a legend." And then later when I became more confident, I kind of deemed myself "The Legend." If I hit a good shot, I would tell myself I was a legend. Then Sherri started to take on that nickname.

Are you ever afraid that some people might take it the wrong way?

As in some might think I'm cocky?

Yeah.

No, because I think everyone knows my personality and that I am 99.9 percent of the time joking around. They know how to take me.

Did you have any other nicknames?

Well in Ireland, if your last name is Murphy, people call you Spud because Murphy were the first people to bring potatoes into Ireland. So everyone calls me Spud or Murph. Hardly anyone calls me Emma, actually.

5. What hidden talents do you have that no one really knows about?

It's definitely not singing! I will now confess I am the second worst singer in the world, with [teammate] Lauren Kazarian being the worst singer in the world! What hidden talents do I have... I won the National Cross Country race in Ireland. I was first out of 300 people. I went to Europe and ran in Spain in the qualifying for the European Championships Under-15. Then I gave up running. I have 10 caps for Ireland in soccer, caps meaning every time you play a match, you get a cap. So I played for Ireland 10 times.

So after you graduate, do you think you might pick up soccer again?

I don't know, but I can definitely see myself in some kind of sport because its been my life so far. But no, not a career in soccer - it's too hard. I've been out of the sport for too long. You never know, I might pick up the racquet and think about trying out a few tournaments to see how it works and if it works, I might pursue something in tennis.

So your teammate Jenny Brown won a state title in Cross Country. Who would win in a race between you two?

Now? Oh, me of course. No, just kidding! I think Jenny is an incredible athlete. I think Jenny for sure. She is probably the best athlete I have come across, running-wise. But I'm still the better tennis player!

The 2005 WCC Player of the Year loves to watch players with personalities out on the courts like Elena Dementieva, Anastasia Myskina, and USD's own Helene Lindstrand

Oh, The Cheesecake Factory because they give you the biggest meals and I have the biggest appetite ever. I don't think there is a girl with a bigger appetite so I need big meals. At the Cheesecake Factory, I can finish the whole plate, but I'm not looking for more food. So that's why I like The Cheesecake Factory. I also love their bread. Their chicken and biscuits dish is the best ever. I also love McDonald's... McFlurries and chips... the best ever!

So if you have a big appetite, why don't you just go to a buffet?

Well, I go to the Soup Plantation sometimes, but you know, it's like, sitting down at The Cheesecake Factory, I like the atmosphere as well. And like I said, the dish chicken and biscuits, I don't think you can beat it! It's my favorite dish and I've been there five or six times this semester.

So I also heard you won an eating contest among USD athletes...

Yes I did! I didn't just win it Roland, I absolutely annihilated everyone. No one stood a chance when it comes to me and eating. I stepped up and I showed everyone what I was made of. I finished in about 20 seconds where everyone else was struggling. I just absolutely killed, like a true Irish woman!

Is this your first eating contest you have one?

Yes, it is, but I feel like it is one of many because I am confident when it comes to eating competitions and everything. If tennis doesn't go well for me, I think there might be a future in eating! You never know, you never know...

As much as you love to eat, can you cook?

Actually, no. I have people cook for me. I don't cook at all. The extent of my cooking goes as far as a toasted cheese sandwich and a cup of tea.

So how do you get people to cook for you?

It's called an Irish accent! That's how I get people to cook for me!

7. Where is your favorite place to shop for clothes?

Well, I never shop here because I never have anytime or anything. Just little shops at home. Sport shops, regular shops... but like I said, I don't have the time or the money... but if anyone wants to sponsor me...

What do you usually wear on a typical USD day?

You're looking at it [tennis t-shirt and shorts]. Because I play tennis and work out every single day, I have no motivation to put on anything else but my tennis stuff. Just my shorts and t-shirt most of the time.

What about back home?

I'm mostly wearing warmer clothes back home because unfortunately, the weather doesn't allow us to wear shorts and t-shirts. So I will go with the warmer clothes.

8. It's 3AM and you can't go to bed. What would you pop into your VCR or DVD player?

One thing that I noticed is that here, everyone is so into movies and DVD's. They will watch a movie more than once. At home, we don't do that at all. We'll watch a film and you don't watch it again. Here, people watch things over and over again. But going back to your original question, I love Mean Girls and I love Love Actually. I think they are really, really funny.

So in Mean Girls, would you be one of the Mean Girls?

No, I'd be the really cool, popular person in the corner. I wouldn't have to be mean to be popular.

Why did you like Love Actually?

I liked it because of the British sense of humor. Also in Mean Girls... that sense of humor where everyone is making fun of everyone and stuff like that.

So would you say then the sense of humor is different here than it is back home?

Oh, it's so different. At home, everyone is so sarcastic and everyone makes fun of everyone all the time. When I first came to America, I used my sarcasm and everything and everyone would look at me like I had 10 heads or something. I had to tone it down a little bit, but when people got to know me, I felt more comfortable and became more sarcastic around them. So I use it a lot here, but I still have to be a little careful because people get offended easily over here, whereas at home, people know to take it with a grain of salt.

So we haven't seen Emma at her finest?

No one has seen Emma at my finest. I'm the only one who has seen me at my finest, if that makes any sense at all.