March 3, 2005

How have practices been going so far for you and for the team?
We love playing games. Practices have been super high-energy recently; we are all so excited to finally start up our season and get into playing games and the momentum has just kept rolling as we've matched up against some of our toughest competition in the NCAA at our first 2 tournaments, and figured out where other teams stand- not to mention how close this year's top 4 or 5 teams are. For me I've been trying to focus on being more dynamic in offense on our attack, but at the same time am balancing shoulder injuries which have kept me from shooting as much as I'd like to. It's a delicate balance.

How do you feel about the team's performance in Santa Barbara this weekend, particularly against USC and Long Beach?
USC is a very disciplined team. They have a strict system which revolves around their top offensive threats, specific players who they look to for the big shots. Leading up to that game we studied them inside and out, individually. This gave us great match-ups when we got to the game, and for the first half we battled with them neck and neck. The problem was that in our superb focus on their individual threats we lost sight of their `team' system- namely, the plays they run on their player-advantage situations, which exposed us and they took complete advantage of this. Lesson learned! We are already so psyched to meet up with them again....which showed in the Long Beach game when we shut down their player-advantage situations.

What opponent would you like to beat the most?
USC and UCLA are our top competition- beating either of them would make me smile.

Who is a current or former Stanford student-athlete that you enjoy watching perform?
Tony Azevedo. Ever since the first Stanford men's water polo game I've seen, I've been awed by the way he plays. He reads the game better than anyone I've ever watched play.

What is your favorite sport (to play or to watch) other than water polo?
I love to ski, though I have to be careful and hardly get a chance to go.....then I got new skis for Christmas which makes it even sweeter. As for spectating, I'd have to say that not much can beat men's basketball March Madness....

What is your major, and how did you decide on it?
Human Biology....When I was little I wanted to be a veterinarian. Then in high school I realized I couldn't handle the sight of blood, so I had to scratch that, but my love for science wasn't something I could ignore. Several of the older Stanford women's water polo players were HumBio majors and recommended it...so basically I knew coming in that I wanted to take the `core' because of what I had heard about it, and since then am really enjoying all of the classes, the professors are amazing.

What is your favorite class at Stanford so far?
Healthcare in America, taught by Donald Barr...I highly recommend it!

Do you have a favorite professor?
Professor Abrams (teaches a class on the Death Penalty, and one on Children Youth and the Law). A commanding speaker and a compassionate professor- the best combination!

What is the best book you've ever read?
The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde.

What is one moment in history that you wish you could have seen?
The `Miracle on Ice' game at the '84 Games.

Do you have a favorite midnight or pre-game snack?
YES! It's called Emergen `C, from Trader Joe's and is a little packet of Vitamin C fizzing powder...you're supposed to mix it with some kind of liquid, but I eat it plain, about 90 mins before game time...which is usually during our pre-game meeting, so my teammates always make fun of me for it.

Who would you like most to switch places with for a day?
Will Ferrell!!

If you were going on a road-trip and could only take one CD, what artist(s) would be on it?
U2, The Counting Crows, Snoop, Red Hot Chili Peppers, TuPac, Rolling Stones, Dispatch, and a couple 80's tracks.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?
I will be 30... hopefully still in California somewhere, hopefully done with grad school, hopefully enjoying my career path, and hopefully with someone special to share my life with.

What was the best advice you've received?
Best advice would be something another Stanford athlete told me and my teammates a few weeks ago. Ogonna Nnamani on the women's volleyball team said that "hope is like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets". I like that.