JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 8, 2015) - Throughout the season, members of the ETSU men’s and women's tennis teams will be featured in a ‘‘Getting to Know’’ segment on ETSUBucs.com.

The next student-athlete to be profiled is sophomore Ismael Merino (Lima, Peru). As a freshman last season, Merino helped lead ETSU to the program's eighth consecutive conference tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance. After posting a team-best 16-4 singles record, including a perfect 7-0 mark in Atlantic Sun play, Merino was named to the Atlantic Sun All-Freshman Team and A-Sun Singles Second Team. The Lima, Peru, native also excelled in the classroom, earning A-Sun Academic All-Conference honors, in addition to being named 2014 Atlantic Sun Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Merino's teammates came up with the questions. Below are Merino's responses:

1.    What are your plans after graduation?

I would like to work for a year and get my MBA.

2.    Why did you start playing tennis?

A lot of my friends played tennis, so I decided that I wanted to play as well.

3.    Who is your favorite athlete?

Novak Djokovic

4.    What is something that not many people know about you?

My mom’s side of the family is from Germany.

5.    Who is the best dancer on the team?

Ricardo Pabon

6.    What is a bad habit you have?

Procrastination

7.    What is your favorite quote?

‘‘Imma show you how great I am.’’ -Muhammed Ali

8.    What is the most adventurous thing you have done?

Paragliding

9.    If you were not playing tennis what do you think you would be doing?

I would like to be a surfer

10. If you were not afraid of doing something, what would you do?

Skydiving

11. What is your favorite thing to do off the court?

I like to cook

12. Who do you look up to most in life?

My mom

13. What country do you most want to visit?

Italy

14. If you could have dinner with somebody dead or alive who would it be and why?

I would like to have dinner with my Grandpa. There are a lot of questions that I would like to ask him.

15. If you could have one thing in the world what would it be?

Peace

16. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

Leopard

17.  Which is your favorite non-ETSU tennis memory?

Coffee Bowl 2011. I really enjoyed that tournament in Costa Rica.

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