There are eight athletes on the roster for Iowa women’s tennis, but this relatively small group represents seven different countries on four continents. In fact, only senior Nikita Vishwase, a native of Phoenix, Arizona, hails from the United States.

With places from Guangzhou, China, to Lima, Peru, serving as hometowns for Hawkeyes, the emphasis on team culture is imperative. This environment appealed to junior Mia Mack, a transfer who previously played at both Miami and San Diego, and she’s been quick to adapt to the new atmosphere. 

“She made it clear to me in our first conversation that what was most important to her is really the people,” head coach Sasha Boros said. “She really just knew that at this time — weather, beach, location to a big city, none of that was as important as the people she was around.”

A native of Löchgau, Germany, Mack joined the Hawkeyes after a season at San Diego that saw her notch a second-team All-West Coast Conference nomination in singles and honorable mention in doubles. 

Like her coach, Mack credited her move to Iowa City to its people.

“The biggest reason for me — the people, coaches and the personalities on the team,” Mack said. “To me, it’s really important to be around people with good vibes. I think that was my main reason why I came to Iowa.”

Senior Pia Kranholdt, a teammate of Mack, hails from Hilders, Germany, a city less than 150 miles north of Löchgau. While the two athletes didn’t have much direct interaction prior to Iowa, their time as Hawkeyes has brought them closer as teammates.

“She’s a great teammate,” Kranholdt said. “She brings a lot of energy. She’s a very good tennis player, fighting a lot on the court. I feel like you can rely on her a lot. She’s cheering other people up, she’s supporting everyone, she’s a very big contribution to our team.”

Kranholdt also noted the parallels between herself and Mack early in the latter’s Iowa career.

“I just had this feeling that we had a lot of similarities in some ways,” Kranholdt said. “Her character, her personality, is in a lot of ways similar to me. I thought that was really cool because we had lots of things to talk about, even though we didn’t even know each other that well.”

Boros has run the program since 2016 and knows the Midwest might not be appealing to everyone. But she also recognized Mack’s talent – a 35-20 record at Florida State and continued success out west. Mack won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Championships in the fall of 2023, not dropping a set until the final, then proceeded to win 21 more matches at San Diego. 

Mack didn’t play last season and committed to Iowa in October 2025. Boros said the pair’s first conversation over the phone addressed the obvious. 

“I think the first thing I told her was, ‘I love Iowa, I love Iowa City, but we’re not Miami and we’re not San Diego,’” Boros said. “‘Just want to make sure that you would still consider coming to the heartland.’”

Despite the change in scenery, Boros was quick to praise Mack’s adjustment. 

“She just really wanted to try to get to know us and we clicked immediately,” Boros said. “I got her in touch with the team members, and she clicked with them.” 

For her part, Mack doesn’t regret making another move across the country. In her mind, she’s right where she belongs. 

“I’m just really happy I committed to Iowa,” Mack said. “It felt like it was the right choice, and I’m really happy here. I’m really thankful and grateful for the people, and I enjoy it so much.”

Prior to the start of Big Ten action, Mack is 8-7 in singles, including a perfect 5-0 at the No. 2 spot. Her and senior Daianne Hayashida are the Hawkeyes’ top doubles pairing with a 7-3 mark. 

“I couldn’t imagine a better team to compete with,” Mack said.