ON A MISSION

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider

Two years ago, when Zuzanna Kubacha came to Baylor from the village of Piechanin, Poland, she knew that God existed and believed in Him, "but I never had a relationship with Him."

"I was not the kind of person who was going to church, who was praying. I really didn't have a relationship with God at all," said Kubacha, a junior on the women's tennis team. "I just knew he was there. And if someone asked me, 'Do you believe in God?' I probably would have said yes. But my perspective on that and having a relationship with God changed completely."

Kubacha is the poster child for how Baylor can change lives.

A qualifier with senior teammate Na Dong for the NCAA Doubles Championships that begin Nov. 18 in Orlando, Fla., Kubacha went on a mission trip to Costa Rica in August, got baptized the next month and is now going through the eight-week iDisciple program for student-athletes who "want to take the next step in their faith and service to the Lord."

"This decision took a lot of thinking and praying and a lot of commitment for me," she said, "because I was doubting if (being baptized) was exactly what I was supposed to do. Throughout the past few years, and especially here at Baylor, God has proved to me many times that this is His plan. He brought me here. And without Him, I wouldn't have such an amazing life, as I do.

"I want to tell people, and I want to tell the world, that I am His follower."

Zuzanna's Baylor story actually began nearly three years before she arrived on campus, when she first met then-assistant coach Lenka Broosova at a juniors tournament in Switzerland.

"We stayed in touch for those three years," Zuza said. "We were constantly in contact, talking about recruiting stuff, but also just my tournaments, my tennis career, my life, basically everything. Throughout my three years, we got to know each other very well."

It was that connection and Baylor's "family atmosphere" that eventually piqued Zuza's interest. But coming to the U.S. to play college tennis was more her "Plan B."

"The plan was to try my best in my junior career and then maybe turn pro right after," said Kubacha, who had a career-best junior ranking of No. 133 in the world. "But life doesn't always turn out like you plan. And it's also not really your plan."

Although she had success on the court, going 7-6 at No. 4 singles, Zuza said her freshman year was "really overwhelming at first."

"I literally left my whole family behind, my home behind, and I moved across the ocean," she said. "That was definitely stressful. And also, English is not my first language. Before coming to Baylor, I had never learned different subjects in English. Of course, different culture, different people, the time zone (seven hours behind Poland). It was definitely hard to adjust at first, but I came to understand the culture way better, and now I actually love it."

Unlike some tennis players, Zuza was very well acquainted with team tennis, playing in various federations and cups and even the Poland Team Championship.

"I already knew that I'm going to feel like a fish in the water in that," she said, "because I love it. Since being a kid, I loved playing for a team, loved playing for my teammates. That's always been my favorite competition is to play on a team and play for a team."

Last year, she had a breakout sophomore season, compiling an overall singles record of 19-6 (13-3 at No. 3) and 10-4 in doubles with then-freshman Wenfei Yu.

"No matter what line you play, there is always pressure," Zuza said. "And I'm the type of person who is putting, sometimes, too much pressure on myself. So, I was definitely struggling a little bit with that last year. But I really made up the pressure in my head. We live and we learn. And I hope that I manage that better this season."

At last month's ITA Texas Regional in Fort Worth, Kubacha and Dong didn't drop a set in five matches, sweeping TCU's Yu-Chin Tsai and Victoria Gomez O'Hayon, 6-3, 6-3, in the final to earn the automatic bid for the NCAA Individual Championships.

"I'm extremely excited to go to Orlando and represent Baylor in doubles with Na," Zuza said. "Honestly, we played every single match just focusing on the process of getting better. We didn't look at the scoreboard. We were just focused on the plan and doing what (Baylor head coach Joey Scrivano) was telling us to do. And it worked out, because we were fully committed to it."

Zuza said her faith journey began last spring, when she "asked millions of questions."

"All the people around me know that I'm the type of person that I'm going to ask millions of questions," she said. "And sometimes, I'm annoying with that. But I just kept asking and asking. And I was fortunate enough to have the right people around me, who were always willing to answer or seek the answers with me. There was a moment last spring when I realized that everything happens for a reason. I came to Baylor for a reason, and it was a God plan."

Joining tennis teammates Kennedy Gibbs and Cristina Tiglea on the trip to Costa Rica, Zuza called it an "eye-opening and heart-opening experience. No words can literally describe it."

"We met so many people who don't have much, who don't have as much as we do," she said. "And their whole lives are based on their belief in God and their faith. That was such an inspiration to see all those people really committing to it and loving God with everything they have."

Getting involved in the iDisciple program this semester was a "great opportunity to learn how to tell others about God and how to express and picture this whole experience," Zuza said.

"I would just love to help other people get to know God," she said, "because I think what I have experienced was so incredible, that I would love everybody to experience the same thing. I learned how to approach people from different cultures. Back in Poland, I will be able to talk to people about it. That's what iDisciple has definitely helped me learn and practice as well."

Although Zuza says she is not scared of the future, "it's hard to say what exactly that is."

"I would love to do what I love the most, which is being with my teammates, playing tennis, traveling and experiencing all those adventures," she said. "I think that's what is ahead of me."

Besides, if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.

"That's exactly what I'm telling people," Zuza said. "He's been laughing at me so hard for the past few years, I'm telling you."

Players Mentioned

Na Dong

Kennedy Gibbs

Zuzanna Kubacha

Cristina Tiglea

Wenfei Yu

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