Traveling more than 4,000 miles from home to pursue a degree in medicine, senior Marc Roesslein gives the Grand Valley State University men’s tennis team an on-court presence unmatched by most competitors in the Midwest.

Roesslein, a native of Basel, Switzerland, possesses one of best all-around games the Lakers have seen in recent years.

“He is one of the best volley-ers I have ever had as a coach,” said GVSU head coach John Black. “He is very strong at the net, very aggressive, he will attack and move up at the net and his serve can be a weapon.”

At the age of 11, Rosesslein started playing tennis competitively and quickly developed a passion for the game.

A passion he thought he would have to give up in order to become a doctor, but soon discovered while studying abroad, would allow him to attend school and further his tennis career.

“I was applying for med school back home, but at the same time because I played competitive tennis in France and Germany in their leagues, I didn’t want to give up tennis,” Roesslein said. “I heard from other friends that there was this opportunity to get an athletic scholarship and to combine academics with tennis and sports. For me it seemed like a perfect opportunity to study abroad and live in a different culture.”

With a natural, adventurous instinct, Roesslein was eager to travel and step out of his comfort zone while he had the opportunity.

“It was a now-or-never thing,” he said. “As soon as you’re an M.D., as soon as you’re a doctor, you’re probably not going to be traveling that much anymore.”

Despite being away from all of his family and friends, Roesslein was able to adapt to America quite quickly.

“It wasn’t that difficult for me to adjust because Western European culture isn’t that different from the U.S.,” he said. “There is a lot of smaller details that are different, but the mentality is comparable.”

Luckily, for GVSU he fit right in on the tennis court, too.

The senior is currently ranked No. 9 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Midwest singles rankings.

On the court, his aggressive net play, experience and 6-foot-5 frame help to set him apart from his competitors.

“I’m more of serve-and-volley type player,” he said. “I really like to be aggressive, come to the net and finish my points with volleys.”

Aside from is aggressiveness and physicality; motivation plays a role in Roesslein’s success on the court.

“Marc is a very motivated individual,” said Josh Kazadan, Roesslein’s teammate and roommate. “Everything he does, he dedicates himself to fully.”

As he finishes up his final season with the Lakers, Roesslein said his biggest goals are to maintain solid play throughout the year and continue to balance athletics and academics.

He has aspirations to attend medical school at University of Michigan or Northwestern University before returning to Switzerland.

GVSU will face off against Davenport University on Friday at 6:30 p.m. in the MVP Sportsplex.

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