Like David against Goliath, Muhammad Ali against George Foreman and the New York Mets against the Baltimore Orioles in 1969, the odds were stacked against sophomore Marion Charlier.

As a freshman walk-on, Charlier had no guarantee she would make the following practice. But with her natural competitive instinct and desire to succeed, Charlier not only made the team, but contributed consistently to this season’s Orangewomen (8-11, 5-2 Big East).

‘She’s invaluable,’ head coach Mac Gifford said. ‘With all the injures we’ve had this season, we needed someone to play No. 6 singles.”

Charlier has done that with admirable determination, her teammates and coaches said.

‘She’s an extremely hard worker, and she’s going to win,’ assistant coach Marni Nordstrom said. ‘That, or her opponent will have a battle to fight.’

Last season, Charlier battled the bench. Six women play in matches but eight suit up and travel with the team. Charlier had improved enough by this time last year to travel but not enough to play. Sitting on the bench only added to her desire to improve.

‘I really wanted to represent the school and the team,’ Charlier said. ‘Making eight was even harder for me because I wanted to play.’

She followed a strict training regimen over the summer and benefited a great deal from coaching.

‘(Coach Gifford) is tough with us, and I like that,’ Charlier said. ‘He’ll tell me, ‘Marion, we need your point.’ It’s helped me a lot.’

Other help has come in the form of the international presence on the team. Charlier, who hails from Rabat, Morocco, is the daughter of two French citizens. She fits in with international students Masha Kabanova (Russia), Daniela Kaluskova (Czech Republic) and freshman Kristine Bech Holte (Norway).

Charlier fits in the starting lineup also. She has received the opportunity because of injuries to teammates, including the mononucleosis that will sideline Alexa Konstand for the Big East tournament.

Charlier has impressed in No. 6 singles, posting a 13-12 record solo, including a win against Barbara Wolfe in SU’s 6-1 victory over Eastern Illinois on Friday. SU followed with a 4-3 loss to Missouri on Saturday.

‘She’s not a Division-I athlete in terms of strokes and power,’ Gifford said. ‘But she has the drive to compete.’

Charlier’s drive stems from her mother Anne.

‘She always told me the player on the other court has the same shoes and the same racket,’ Charlier said. ‘There isn’t anything special about her. I just want to compete.’

Charlier will compete in the Big East Tennis Championship this weekend when SU travels to Coral Gables, Fla., to play Boston College. SU lost at Boston College, 6-1, on Feb. 15.

To no one’s surprise, Charlier looks forward to the challenge.

‘We just have to take it one game at a time,’ Charlier said. ‘This is our last tournament. We want to end well.’

Published on April 16, 2002 at 12:00 pm