IRVINE, Calif. --- They don't come any tougher - skilled martial artist, double major, and now making her triumphant return after missing a season with an injury - but Alex Karlowitsch has a softer side, not to mention her scoring side. Let Alex tell you what she's got going on on and off the field:

ENTER THE DRAGON
"I am a 2nd degree black belt in Hapkido. Hapkido is a Korean form of martial arts that focuses mostly on grappling, sparring (fighting), self defense techniques, learning to counter your opponent, the use of various weapons, etc. I practiced for over ten years and stopped when I came to UCI. Martial Arts has taught me a lot of life skills such as discipline, strength, and respect. It really helped me with my balance in soccer and hitting a volley well just like a roundhouse kick in martial arts. I hope to continue martial arts in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu once I am done here."

CAT-ITUDE
"I love cats! I only grew up with cats so I guess it's all that I've known haha but I have two cats right now and they are amazing. I just love how independent cats are and when they want attention they will come to you. They are like little lions or panthers and I think that's awesome."

READY PLAYER ONE
"I am a bit of a video game nerd haha I love video games and play quite a bit. Fortnite, Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed, etc..., you name it, I probably have played it!"

AMBITION MISSION
"I am a double major in Education Sciences and Sociology. It wasn't too challenging to balance soccer and school with a double major because each major doesn't take long to complete so one quarter I would focus on education and the next I would focus on sociology. I learned to manage my time pretty well being a student-athlete which made it a lot easier, but I feel I can't complain to someone who majors in Bio or Engineering haha. When deciding my career field, I noticed I couldn't get away from sports. I love sports too much, and being a student-athlete, I have experienced college athletics in a unique way. With my experiences, I have grown an interest in college athletics as a career to make sure student-athletes get the best experience they can at whichever school I work at. I really look up to our own interim athletic director, Paula Smith, for she has given me great perspectives on the ins-and-outs of college athletics."

STUDENT BECOMING MASTER
"Coming back from two knee surgeries on both of my knees back-to-back, I have became more humble and determined to play again. If I am being honest, I thought I would have had to hang up my cleats after my second surgery, but once I started touching the ball again, I just knew I couldn't give it up quite yet. Having the feeling of my senior year taken from me fuels my fire to really take advantage of this opportunity of playing again as a fifth-year senior. This program has taught me and given me a lot, I am so grateful for every opportunity I was given."