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Luca Maldoner

Men's Tennis, Junior

“Because of you, I have the special opportunity to play the sport that I love every day and receive a great education at the same time. I am more than proud to represent ODU with this amazing team. Without you I would not be where I am today and I cannot thank you enough for that.”

Donor Spotlight

Rich Montgomery

Are you an alumnus of ODU? If so, what year did you graduate?

Yes, I graduated in 1984.

What is your favorite memory of ODU Athletics?

By far my favorite memory of ODU athletics is the football game against Virginia Tech at ODU. I had been to the two games in Blacksburg the previous two years where Tech had won both. I was not expecting much different from the game in Norfolk. But there was definitely something different about that game right from the beginning. As ODU scored touchdown after touchdown I began to believe they could win. When the game was over it was amazing to be there and see the celebration.

Why do you support ODU Athletics and its student-athletes?

I support ODU athletics because I want to see ODU win on the field and the court. I think that college athletics is a good way to gain national recognition for a university. Old Dominion is a great university and deserves to be well known beyond Hampton Roads and Virginia. I want our student athletes to have first class facilities and a first class college career so that the most talented high school athletes will consider Old Dominion as a top choice.

What do you like most about ODU as a whole?

I like that ODU has grown from a small extension school to a major university. And that it continues to grow, in student population, campus size and its service to the community, the state and the country. I have watched the growth over the years and I like how the future looks for ODU.

What makes you the most proud of ODU?

I am proud of ODU for two things; its values of integrity and putting students first. I am proud that ODU follows intercollegiate sports rules and regulations. The selection of head coaches has proven that ODU puts integrity very high on the list of qualifications. I think that the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 fall sports shows that ODU cares about student athletes above all else.

If you could describe ODU in one word, what word would it be and why?

Opportunity. ODU gave me the opportunity to get a college degree and achieve my career goals. It has made it a priority to give underprivileged students an opportunity to attend college and achieve their goals. 

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?

ODU athletics has been in my family for a long time. My father and my wife also graduated from ODU. My father had women's basketball season tickets since the Nancy Lieberman days. My wife and I didn't get to go to football games when we were at ODU, so we go to every one of them now.