There was a time when Tereza Vitulova didn't like the game of basketball all that much.

She loves it now.

In fact she is on quite a tear for the Cowgirl basketball team.

In her last three games, she is averaging 21.3 points per game, 8.7 rebounds and is shooting almost 68 percent from the floor.  

She knows those celestial numbers may not continue, but she's certainly enjoying it.

Her teammates are having fun, too.  During Tereza's run they have won all three games, including the opening Mountain West road trip of the season at Air Force and New Mexico a week ago.

They look to continue that streak tonight when they host Mississippi Valley State at 6:30 p.m. in the Double A, the first of a five-game homestand.

A sophomore from Domasov, Czech Republic, Tereza has given the Cowgirls a true post presence.  She has played in all eight games to date and is averaging 13.6 per game.

It hasn't always been that way for her, however.  "When I was much younger, my mother (Renata) had me try all the sports," Tereza says, "even gymnastics.  "With each one of them she'd say to me, 'no, that sports is not for you'.  But we both agreed that basketball would be my sport.

"But it didn't start out very well for me. I wasn't all that good, and it seemed like my team lost every game by a hundred points.  I didn't want to play.  But when I was about 13 or 14 years old I started playing club basketball and that's where the game of basketball changed for me. I loved it."

Renata played basketball, too, and is extremely passionate about the sport. She worked with her daughter and things began to gel. "No one knew me better than she did.  She would tell me things about my game before the coaches would tell me the same thing.  She would be the one parent yelling things to me from the stands during games.  She is my role model."

Tereza's mother actually came with her on the recruiting visit to Wyoming.  "We both thought Wyoming would be a great opportunity for me.  It was definitely the right place for me.  My mother hasn't seen me play yet in person, but she watches every game on the stream.  It's like two in the morning there, so she sets her alarm, watches the game, and then we talk to each other after.  It's crazy.  I'm hoping she will be able to come over here at some point, and watch us play."

I can't imagine taking that kind of leap.  Leaving your home country, and your family to face a different culture.  The language is different, the food is different.  Yet you have to excel in the classroom and in your sport.

"It was tough," Tereza admits.  "When I got here I was really introverted because all of these things were new to me.  My biggest adjustment was the food.  I really don't care for American food all that much, and I especially missed my grandmother's cooking.  She makes great soups, and she makes a pork, cabbage and dumpling dish that is SO good."

Tereza is looking forward to the Holiday break.  She is going to Florida for Christmas to meet up with some of her Czech Republic teammates.  Her best friend plays for South Florida, and two other teammates play at Minnesota and Illinois respectively.  "I'm really looking forward to seeing them," she says. We will do some cooking for each other."

The Cowgirls on the roster from foreign countries—there are five currently--have really helped Tereza's adjustment to this country.  Alba Sanchez Ramos, a sophomore from Madrid, Spain, who is her best friend on the team, has been especially helpful.

"We are good friends and we have a lot in common.  She has really helped me open up to everyone.  We study together and like a lot of the same things.  She has helped me become more outgoing, and I think that has translated to the basketball court."

Tereza also gives a great deal of credit to Bailee Cotton, a star for the Cowgirls who graduated last year. "I really appreciate how much Bailee helped me.  She taught me how to work harder, how to be more physical, and the importance of defense.  I'm so grateful for the opportunity to learn from her.  I was a little bit scared when I got here, I really didn't know what to do.  Bailee was so patient with me especially at the defensive end of the floor where she was so good. I still have a long way to go defensively, but she's the one who made me understand how important it was."

Another major adjustment for Tereza was the elevation of Laramie.  Her city of Brno (population 400,000) is at sea level. "After the first couple of practices here last year I thought I was going to die," she laughs.  "When we started the season, I was already tired after warmups.  It was difficult.  I'm definitely more used to it now.  I'm also more used to the style of play.  The game is much more physical in this country than in Europe.  Plus the shot clock there is 24 seconds.  Six seconds doesn't sound like much, but it is.  We play much more as a team here and scouting and tactics are more serious.   In Europe we pretty much just go and play." 

Tereza is majoring in Humanities/Fine Arts with three areas of concentration listed including Women's Studies Interdisciplinary; Musical Theatre Performance and Dance Performance.  She is intentionally keeping it broad so her options are many.  One thing she really enjoys doing is make-up.  While she probably wouldn't want to do it as a career in Hollywood, she looks at it as a great release.  "I have fun changing my own to fit the mood I'm in, and I enjoy doing it for my teammates.  In my major that is one way to go. I enjoy doing it, it makes me feel good, but I wouldn't want to do it for a living."  

She IS sure of two things she wants to do in the future. She wants to take the game of basketball as far as she can, and would love to play in Europe, maybe Spain or Italy.  And, when that's over, she wants to be a genuine humanitarian.  She wants to work with those who are less privileged than her. "I want to help people, especially children and women.  I'd love to go to a place like Africa and work to make a difference. I believe athletics is a great option for both children and women to feel good about themselves.

"I have family, friends, and basketball, I have everything.  So many people have nothing.  I have enough, so I want to give back, help as much as I can."

Tereza got involved in buying Christmas gifts for less-fortunate children this holiday season. "I was going to buy things like socks and clothing.  But then I decided to buy basketballs for them to play with.  I think basketball, all sports really, is a language than can give them hope.  I want to give people hope who don't have much hope.  

The world needs more Tereza Vitulovas.