By HurricaneSports.com CORAL GABLES, Fla. – understands. Really, she does. Before becoming a five-time ITA All-American and two-time NCAA Singles Championship semifinalist, Vallverdu was just another freshman at the University of Miami trying to acclimate and find her way to success. 'The biggest struggle I had when I got to UM was getting used to the language and how fast the pace was as a student-athlete,' Vallverdu said. 'I had to make quick adjustments to my time management skills with responsibilities away from the tennis court. Doing that was critical for me to be able to perform more freely.'

Fast-forward a dozen years and Vallverdu—known by those close to her as 'Lau'—is now entering her eighth season on ' women's tennis staff at her alma mater, currently serving as Miami's associate head coach. After graduating in 2010 as one of the best players in ACC history, Vallverdu rejoined the Hurricanes as a graduate assistant in 2011-12, spent the next season as a volunteer and was then promoted to full-time assistant in 2013-14. Vallverdu, who finished her career as Miami's all-time singles wins leader and now ranks third, helped the Hurricanes to four Sweet 16 berths, three Elite Eight appearances, three 20-win seasons and three top-10 finishes during her four years as a student-athlete.

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The Valencia, Venezuela, native has aided the Hurricanes to seven more Sweet 16 trips, two additional Elite Eight berths, four more 20-win seasons and three additional top-10 finishes in her first seven years on staff. Aside from Yaroshuk-Tews, in her 22nd year at Miami and her 18th as head coach, no one has spent more time with the Hurricanes' women's tennis program than Vallverdu. 'In my opinion, there isn't another person in the country who could fill her shoes at UM,' Yaroshuk-Tews said. 'She is truly a special person, fellow coach and friend. We've been through so much together that I consider her family.' Few athletes in Miami's illustrious history have accomplished as much as Vallverdu.

In addition to her aforementioned impressive achievements, she was a four-time All-ACC honoree, four-time All-ACC Academic Team member, the 2007 ITA South Region Player to Watch and the 2009-10 Honda Sports Award winner. Only two players in program history have earned more ITA All-America honors than Vallverdu.

No one else has made multiple NCAA Singles Championship Final Four berths and only one other Hurricane has reached the title match of that tournament. While Vallverdu's list of accolades is seemingly never-ending, her rise to success was anything but easy. She put in considerable effort, battled through injury and dealt with many of the same issues any college student does. 'I would say my hard work was based on my happiness. Being happy is what I am most proud of in my life, on and off the court,' Vallverdu said. 'Winning is never a guarantee, but not being happy will often guarantee you not achieving success.

During my UM years, I worked hard to understand that concept and was grateful every single day for the process and enjoyed every part of it. Growing and evolving as an athlete needs to make you happy and motivate you to get up every morning with a smile on your face.'

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Few coaches can better relate to the individuals they help guide than Vallverdu. She competed on the same courts, ate in the same dining halls, lived in the same dorms and even played for the same head coach as those she now oversees. It is a trait that makes her incredibly vital to Yaroshuk-Tews, a UM Sports Hall of Famer and two-time ITA Southeast Region Coach of the Year.

'Lau relates to our team on every level,' Yaroshuk-Tews said. Bad boys song download free. 'Her familiarity with the program from a player and coach perspective is invaluable.'

In her 11 years as a player or staff member for the Hurricanes, Miami is 220-74 (.748), including 108-27 (.800) in ACC play. The numbers speak for themselves, demonstrating Vallverdu's importance to the dominance of Miami tennis at both the conference and national level. Beyond her experience and expertise, Vallverdu also has another reliable resource she can lean on for advice that few others do. Her brother, Dani, currently coaches Grigor Dimitrov, the eighth-ranked player in the world, and has previously worked with both Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych. Not only is Dani an elite, established coach, but he too played tennis at Miami. The siblings overlapped in Coral Gables for three years and Dani earned four ITA All-America honors before going on to his stellar coaching career.

'Dani is a force to be reckoned with in the coaching world and it is a lot of fun to share our opinions about the job and our discipline,' Vallverdu said. 'He has the ability to watch tennis at the highest levels, which helps me have a closer eye to all the different angles of the sport. It helps me grow and stay up to date with the styles and tactics being used around the world.' A former psychology major at Miami who added a master's degree in sport administration from her alma mater in 2012, Vallverdu focuses heavily on the mental side of tennis. She consistently pushes and motivates her players to do more and work to become the best student-athletes they can possibly be.