Mark Vandevender is the lone senior on the 2011 DC men's tennis squad and will earn his second letter on the courts, after playing two years of soccer.

Now is your chance to get to know Mark Vandevender away from the court, as we go beyond the box score with the senior tennis player.

20 Questions With Mark Vandevender

1-When did you begin playing tennis competitively? I began playing tennis my junior year of high school. 

2-What has been the highlight of your athletic career so far? The highlight of my career in tennis was probably being named a player of the week in high school and being one of DC's Sportsmanship Award winners for the tennis team last year. 

3-What are your goals for the 2011 season? My goal is to make the HCAC Tournament and win it!

4-Who is your funniest teammate? That would probably be Trevor Ault, because we can laugh at anything and have great witty one-liner jokes.

5-Do you have any nicknames? Vande-Player.

6-What three words best describe you? Loyal, carefree, leader.

7-What is your favorite restaurant? The Olive Garden, because the food is amazing and you get big portions to fill you up. 

8-Who is your biggest hero? My father. He taught me to never give up and no matter how bad some things may seem, I will always have friends to support me and I can always come out on top if I try my hardest. 

9-Dream vacation spot? Hawaii. It has got the best weather and beaches and there are a million things to do there. 

10-What is the top song currently on your iPod? "Don't Stop Believing", by Journey. It is one of the greatest songs of all time!

11-Who was your childhood sports hero? Definitely Jim Brown. He played for the Cleveland Browns and was the greatest running back of all time. 

12-Do you have any superstitions or pre-match routines? One superstition that I have is that whenever I serve a ball in tennis, I have to tap my foot twice before or it will not go in.

13-If you could trade places with anyone for one day, who would it be? (No answer provided.)

14-What is your favorite TV show? "Family Guy" by far. 

15-What is something most people do not know about you? Most people know that I am an avid sailor, but most do not know that I have won many different trophies in sailing on many different boats. 

16-What is your biggest fear? That I will let people down. I hate that feeling more than anything in the world. 

17-Besides your own, what is your favorite sport to watch at Defiance? I used to be on the men's soccer team, so I love going to the games and watching the team play.

18-What is your favorite class or professor at DC and why? My favorite professor at DC is Dr. Griggs hands down. He has been my professor for many different classes and he is a great teacher and a great person.

19-What are your plans after graduating from DC? I hope to get a job either with the FBI or at a crime lab. 

20-How has playing collegiate athletics at DC helped you in life? It has been a huge part of my life. I have played a sport every year that I have been at Defiance and it has taught me time management skills and has kept me in shape. The teams are competitive, so we never give up and always know that we can win, which is how I try to live my life.