By Trevor Joelson And Ryan Cravens

Victor Maksimcuk lost his doubles point against Virginia Tech University. Then he adjusted.

Maksimcuk beat the Hokies’ Yoann Re in a singles match to get the University of Louisville’s men’s tennis team a fifth point in a 5-2 win. He has spent the better part of his college career adjusting.

When Maksimcuk came to U of L from Subotica, Serbia; it was a dream come true.

“Everybody’s dream in Europe is to study in America,” said Maksimcuk.

Serbia, where Maksimuk spent 20 years of his life, was wrapped up in combat for a better part of the ’90s. Maksimcuk said Serbia was generally the aggressor and was never ground-zero for the fighting.

U of L men’s tennis coach Rex Ecarma said Maksimcuk is too humble. A suitable analogy of what Maksimcuk endured would be if Kentucky was getting bombed, but Louisville wasn’t. Ecarma said with Maksimcuk’s modest nature, his mailbox would have to get hit for him to feel threatened.

Still, an embargo and constant hostility left for a unique upbringing that led to a culture shock when he moved to the U.S.

“For me it was like I was going to some other planet,” said Maksimcuk about his move to Louisville.

Maksimcuk noted the diverse cultures, true democracy and more liberal lifestyles as the most difficult aspects to become accustomed to.

As if a drastic lifestyle change wasn’t enough, Maksimcuk was forced to adapt to what he had known best since he was five years old, tennis. In Serbia, he had only played on clay, which is a slow surface. The Bass-Rudd tennis center and other collegiate complexes are on hard surfaces.

As a result, Maksimcuk didn’t play to his potential in the first semester going 5-5 in singles play, but showed signs of improvement as the semester went on.

Ecarma was afraid he was going to have to send Maksimcuk home, but it had nothing to do with his play on the court.

Maksimcuk also had difficulty adjusting to the college curriculum, specifically struggling with microeconomics.

However, during the fall tennis season, he improved in the classroom.

Still, Maksimcuk realized he had not yet reached his potential and it took a trip home to Serbia over winter break to clear his head and “recharge his batteries.”

When Maksimcuk came back for the second semester, he began to shine in all walks of life.

Maksimcuk has a spring singles record of 13-2 while playing second court. He also has become the most popular guy on the team while improving in the classroom, according to Ecarma.

“To be a freshman and in the top six on a team is an exceptional feat,” said Ecarma, who pointed to Maksimcuk learning new shots at the net as his biggest development on the court.

Maksimcuk said at first it was difficult getting used to the different cultures on the men’s tennis team. The squad represents citizens of 10 different countries across the globe. He said he now looks at the members of his team as a family and they all help each other adjusting to life so far from home.

Maksimcuk’s teammates see him as a valuable asset on and off the court.

“Viktor is a really nice and laid back guy that is always putting his team first,” said fellow freshman tennis player Alejandro Calligari, who originally hails from Venezuela. “He inspired the rest of the team to work harder and pumps everyone up when we really need it.”

Maksimcuk is excited about the future and sees his freshman year as a stepping block. He said he is excited about what he can do for the program, especially during his junior and senior year.

More than anything Maksimcuk wants to make sure that he gets the most out of all that college has to offer and gives something back to U of L along the way.

“If you have a scholarship, you should prove it is a good investment,” said Maksimcuk who will take on Indiana University in Bloomington today.

Now that he is adjusted, it appears that U of L’s investment will pay high dividends.