Flames tennis star breaks record

Earning more honors and breaking more records than some do their entire college careers, the sophomore and Columbia native Maria Juliana Parra Romero is making a name for herself in the United States.

Prior to coming to Liberty University’s tennis program, Romero reached No. 1 in Colombia’s junior tennis rankings. The success didn’t end there. 

Parra Romero was the first player in Liberty tennis program history to be named ASUN Conference Women’s Tennis Freshman of the Year, close the year as the No. 13-ranked singles player in the ITA Atlantic Region, earn a record-breaking 29th win in the ASUN Championship final (April 24) and finish freshman season with the best singles winning percentage in program history — but that’s not even half of her accomplishments. Now, in her sophomore season, the 2022 VaSID Rookie of the Year continues to make an impression.

Parra Romero has lived and breathed sports her entire life. Her mother was a swimmer and her father was a soccer player, and they both pushed her to follow the same path as an athlete growing up. She dipped her toe in every sports pool, trying swimming, volleyball, basketball, soccer, gymnastics and even ballet, but tennis is where she found her niche. 

“I fell in love with tennis and started practicing every single day,” Parra Romero said. “I went to private lessons with my dad, and we both started learning how to play. I wanted to play competitively, and I started going to national tournaments in Colombia, then international tournaments, and then I decided I wanted to come to a university.”

Being at Liberty has been the longest and farthest from home she’s ever been. It’s gotten easier for her as time has passed, but she still tries to go home during breaks when she can. She’s blessed with her “Liberty family,” and that has made her transition here so much easier. She misses her parents but couldn’t be happier here. 

About 10 years ago, Parra Romero’s mother was diagnosed with cancer. Her mother’s strength and courage through the battle has been an inspiration to her.

“I think that motivates me to be a fighter on the court (and) a fighter on life,” Parra Romero said. “My mom’s pretty much like my mentor and the person I want to become whenever I finish college. Everything I’ve gone through here …  does not compare to what she has been through. But I want to be as strong as her.”

Depending on the time of day, before a match, Parra Romero will eat a meal with her team. Where she finds peace before a match is when she goes away from her team and prays on her own.

“That makes me feel really calm, and safe (for) what am I going to do in the court and everything,” Parra Romero said. “It gives me more energy for the match. That’s a really big part of my routine, (that) and talking to my mom before every single match.”

On Oct. 4, she earned a ranked win over Oregon’s No. 107 Sophie Leusche.

“Well, I didn’t know she was ranked,” Parra Romero said on the victory. “I knew it when I saw on Twitter that they said I won against this girl from Oregon that had ranking 107— it was amazing. It feels great, and I hope I will get ranked. I think (it makes) me less nervous to not know that (she was ranked). I’m trusting the process and trusting the coaches … It just feels really good.”

While only a sophomore, Parra Romero advises incoming freshman to not be intimidated to go far from home. She said they never know what God has in store from them. 

This season, her goal is to win ITA Atlantic Regionals next week (starting Oct. 20) in Blacksburg, Virginia. She hopes that achieving that goal could contribute to her highest aspiration as a Flame: be ranked among the other top women’s tennis players in the country. 

Bruss is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on Twitter