Athlete Spotlight: Shenandoah tennis player Molly Barb
Posted: February 19, 2013
Shenandoah University 18-year-old freshman
Sport: Tennis
Position: No. 2 singles/No. 1 doubles
Parents: Norma and Steve Barb
Hometown: Woodstock
Major: Kinesiology/Pre-Physical Therapy
High School: Central High School (Class of 2012)
When did you start playing tennis: I started my freshman year of high school. I had a friend that wanted to play and I agreed to go out for the team with her.
What you love about tennis: It’s like an all-around game, there’s a mental side and a physical side. And it looks way easier than it actually is.
Biggest strength and weakness in tennis: My biggest strength is my forehand, it’s consistent and I can get some power off of it. My biggest weakness is probably consistency with my backhand.
Sport you always wanted to try: Alpine [or downhill] skiing. I really like watching Lindsay Vonn do it. It just looks really fast and I feel like you’d have a lot of adrenaline.
Most memorable moment in tennis: Winning regionals my senior year [of high school], which meant I finally got to go to states. The past two years I’d lost in the district finals, so senior year I finally got to states.
Most embarrassing moment in tennis: Just when you swing and you miss the ball. Sometimes it’s because it hits the court wrong, but usually it’s just because I took my eye off the ball.
Favorite athlete: [Professional tennis player] Caroline Wozniacki. She’s the first person that I saw playing professional tennis, so I just got attached.
Favorite sports team: Boston Celtics
Three people you can have dinner with, dead or alive: (Actress) Jennifer Lawrence because I think she’s hilarious, Wozniacki because she’s who I look up to in tennis and Jesus because you can’t go wrong with having dinner with Jesus.
Favorite Quote: “Men go abroad to wonder at the height of mountains, the huge waves of the sea, the long course of rivers, the vast compass of the ocean, the circular motion of the stars; but they pass by themselves and don’t even notice.” — Saint Augustine
Favorite class in school: I like Chemistry. It’s complicated, but once you understand it you realize that everything is chemistry.
What’s on the iPod: I have a lot of Sia, Lana Del Rey and the Les Miserables soundtrack.
Plans after college: Hopefully becoming a physical therapist somewhere in Northern Virginia.
— Compiled by Kevin Trudgeon