Zoey Liu making most of opportunity to study and play tennis in the United States

Zeyun "Zoey" Liu's love for tennis started as a ball girl for her brother.

"I kind of followed him everywhere," Liu said.

It didn't take long for that ball girl to turn into a tennis player.

While her brother lost interest, Liu kept playing, but playing competitively wasn't really an option back in China. 

"In my school we really didn't have a lot of time to hang out with friends or play extra sports," she said.

That all changed when Liu became a boarding student at Buffalo Seminary.

She wanted to make friends so she tried out for the girls tennis team. It didn't take long for her coaches and school to take notice of her talent.

"Nobody at the building knew what a great tennis player she really was," said Buffalo Seminary head coach Andrea Abels.

Since joining the team Liu has made friends and is one of the program's best players over the last four years. She's a two-time state champion and one-time runner up.

She's also shining in the classroom and has become somewhat of a role model for others overseas.

"It's an example for other students who are coming to the states to see someone like Zoey who has succeeded the way she has," Abels said.

Liu's success isn't over as she plans to stay in the United States and earn a college degree. While she won't be a scholarship athlete, she's not ready to say goodbye to her tennis racket.

"For like seven years tennis has been a part of my life," Liu said. "Even if I don't join the tennis team, I can keep up with it and make new friends and play in a club or something like that."