It’s the little things that make life difficult – like accents.

Despite studying English since junior high, the language barrier still created difficulties for French-born Marine Piriou, No. 4 singles player for the Northwestern women’s tennis team.

“The learning in the classroom doesn’t have any value,” Piriou said. “In France you study pure English, not American slang. And it’s hard to adapt to accents.

“I had a hard time understanding (teammate) Shannon Duffy at first — she’s from Texas.”

Piriou and No. 5 singles player Simona Petrutiu are two of the three foreign-born players on the team, which recently won its third straight Big Ten title and another trip to the NCAA tournament. Ruth Barnes is from England, and the trio joins coach Claire Pollard, who is also a native of England.

Piriou said her English has improved since arriving in 1999 for her freshman year, having never set foot in the United States before.

Petrutiu, who is from Romania, agreed that language is no longer a problem, especially on the court.

“When it comes to playing tennis, everyone knows the basic things already” she said.

For the top American-born athletes, choosing between academics and sports is not an issue.

Foreign players, however, are forced to travel to the United States to continue their tennis careers without giving up higher education.

“The schools can’t permit you to practice and travel around France,” Piriou said. “You have to choose between your sport and your studies.”

While Piriou wanted to continue playing tennis, academics were a far greater priority.

Two years ago, she was contacted by five American universities, including NU and Harvard.

All the attention was because of her standing as one of the top seven players in France. Commitments to tournaments and her Baccalaureate exam, which French students need to pass to complete high school, prevented Piriou from visiting any of the schools. She was forced to rely on academic reputation and contact with tennis coaches.

“The coach is the most important person in your life,” Piriou said. “I didn’t get along at all with the Harvard coach. He was snobby and distant from his players.

“Pollard was the opposite. She has a great philosophy of life and she knows how to talk to players. She also knows how to play with heart.”

When Petrutiu made her college decision, she was even less informed.

She originally enrolled at Southern Illinois and transferred to NU at the beginning of this season.

“When I first came, I didn’t know the difference between schools,” Petrutiu said. She said she came to NU for the improved academics.

Not only did Piriou and Petrutiu have to adjust to a new country, but they also had limited contact with their families.

Petrutiu is only able to return to Romania during winter break and over the summer.

“It’s really hard being far away from your family,” Petrutiu said. “Being busy with tennis and school makes it easier. I don’t think the homesickness will go away. Every time I go back (to Romania) it gets worse.”

There are plenty of cultural differences between their native countries and the United States, but the athletes also have to adjust to another style of tennis.

The main difference between the sport in the United States and Europe is the court surface — hard courts as opposed to clay.

The motions on the court are also different. Piriou said hard courts allow for quick changes of directions and neat, clean stops.

“It’s much more difficult to move your feet on clay — much more physical,” Piriou said.

Piriou said she needs two weeks to adjust from playing on hard courts to clay for the summer tournaments, including the French national championship.

But the difference also lies in how competitive play is organized on the two continents.

In France, top athletes compete for a private or public club rather than a university.

“Here it’s much more professional,” Piriou said. “If you play for a team there, you play more for pleasure. You are also playing with teammates of various ages.”

But Piriou adjusted. She and the rest of the Wildcats host the NCAA regionals this weekend, facing Illinois-Chicago in the first round. Throughout their undefeated Big Ten season, the team has become a surrogate family to Piriou.

“I know I can get help and support from my teammates,” she said. “They’re pretty much my sisters.”