For most college athletes, the stress of adjusting to life away from home centers around finding that balance between athletics, academics and social life, along with continuing to play their sport at the highest level.

But for Cal State Fullerton freshman tennis player Mariia Nikitash, college life carries with it the added daily burden of hoping her family remains safe as Russia continues its war on her home country of Ukraine.

Born and raised in Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv, Nikitash got her start in tennis at age 9 and has countless memories of playing local tournaments in the surrounding towns. It didn’t take long for her to discover that she wanted to pursue the sport as more than just a recreational pastime.

“I realized it’s my passion,” Nikitash said. “I like to play and compete.”

Nikitash’s goal since those early days on the court has been to play at the professional level. But education is equally important to the 18-year-old, so when CSUF recruited her to play tennis, she jumped at the chance to come to America and pursue her goals.

After arriving in Orange County last August, Nikitash started the process of settling into life on campus. She worked to improve her English, she began training with her teammates and she enrolled in classes for her major – computer animation and game art. It was a significant life change that got off to a great start.

“When I first came here, I was afraid I would be homesick and miss everyone. I was so nervous,” Nikitash said. “But when I came here, I felt freedom. It’s been a really good step for me.”

That all changed on Feb. 24. Nikitash was in Hawaii with the CSUF tennis team when she received a late-night phone call from her mother. She told her daughter that Russia had invaded their beloved city.

Nikitash admits she didn’t want to believe the news at first. Now she tries her best to stay in contact with her mother daily, although the connection is often poor or nonexistent.

“I’m just trying not to think too much about it,” Nikitash said. “Since I’m so far away, sometimes it’s hard to concentrate. But still, I’m trying to support my family as much as I can.”

Her parents and extended family, which includes her 87-year-old grandfather and 2-year-old cousin, have made the choice, as of now, to stay together in Kyiv.

“My mom doesn’t want to leave them alone,” Nikitash said. “She told me that since we are family, we need to be united. There is no way she will go somewhere and leave her family to die. So, they decided to stay together.”

But Nikitash knows a number of childhood and family friends, specifically those from Mariupol, who have fled their homes for surrounding countries such as Slovenia and Poland. She tries her best to stay in contact with them as they navigate becoming refugees in foreign lands.

With so much uncertainty in front of her each day, Nikitash has channeled her fear of the future into areas she can control, including changing her major to computer science with the goal of someday helping her country by combating cyber warfare.

Another area Nikitash is directing her energy is through her performance on the tennis court. As primarily a singles player, she approaches each match with a mentality that represents that of the Ukrainian people — brave and tough.

“When I’m playing tennis, it’s kind of like therapy for me,” Nikitash said. “I’m just focusing on every ball and trying not to think about other things.”

She is grateful for a team and a university that are unconditionally supporting her through this uniquely challenging time.

“The situation with Mariia has been so tough, but I am extremely proud of how our team and institution have stepped in to help support her,” said CSUF interim head women’s tennis coach, Ellie Edles Williams.

“None of us can relate to what Mariia is going through, but to know that she has teammates and coaches around her who truly want to help in any way they can has been a great help to Mariia,” Williams said. “As a coach, I feel incredibly grateful to have the support staff and professors we have who have been extremely understanding of the situation.”

The Ukrainian phrase for “good night” closely translates to English as “calm night,” and if Nikitash had one wish, she would wish for nothing but calm nights ahead for the people of her country. While the sirens and explosions continue to fill the night skies over her homeland, she remains steadfast in the hope that her family will remain safe and the calm nights will return.

“I’m really proud of my people and my country because everyone is so brave,” Nikitash said. “We are such a patriotic nation. We will fight until the end.”

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