With her family straddling the border while she was growing up, Mater Dei tennis star Vivian Moreno learned the fundamentals of tennis while playing at Club Campestre de Tijuana. Now a senior for the undefeated Mater Dei Crusaders, Moreno is contributing to what is shaping up as another Mesa League championship team. The Crusaders easily vanquished the previously undefeated Bonita Barons last week and seem like the force to be reckoned with in the South Bay.

 “I learned the basics in Tijuana playing for Campestre,” Moreno said after breezing to a 6-0, 6-0, 6-1 victory. “Then when I got a little older I trained every day in Coronado.”

 Playing in the number two singles spot, Moreno has won all of her matches and dropped only one set this season. Combined with number one singles ace Jenny Borck, the pair form a lethal one-two punch for the Crusaders. Add to that mix a very tough #3 singles player in Mariel Castillo-Casta and the almost invincible first doubles team of Lynn San Roman and Luz Lopez and that spells trouble for just about any opposing team.

 “Vivian is a hard hitting baseline player,” according to assistant coach David Borck. “She stands back on the base-line and just smacks the ball. She will move her opponents left and right and then at the right time she will use her backhand crosscourt slice. The ball just stops. Most of the time, they just can’t get to it. She has a good serve, hits good over-heads and uses good volleys to defeat her opponents. Last year, Vivian beat the reigning league champion, Constance Alexander in the league finals.”

 Moreno’s key to success is a simple one.

 “I like to hit very hard and attack with every shot. I have a strong and consistent forehand with which I can force my opponents to run a lot.”

 Once she wears them out they start making mistakes or sometimes she goes for the immediate kill with one of her well-placed winners.

 Through the years Moreno has played both doubles and singles, but she is content to stay where she is right now playing solo. Tennis has been her primary sport since her childhood.

 “I have been playing since I was seven years old. I really became interested in it through my cousins who are now playing through an athletic scholarship for Arizona State.”

 Moreno has played in competition throughout San Diego, Los Angeles and Tijuana and hopes to one day follow in her cousin’s footsteps with a tennis scholarship. Preferably, it will be to one of the local universities.

 “I think I want to stay locally in college so I am hoping to play for San Diego State, Point Loma Nazarene or maybe UC Riverside. I don’t want to go too far. I am going to begin visiting universities next month and then I will look into getting a scholarship.”

 Moreno is a solid student with has a very respectable GPA of about 3.3. Based on her strength on the court and in the classroom she may have what it takes to gain one of those few coveted scholarships.