Hi Sandy Cardinal Fans!
The sandy Cardinal is grinding out the final week of competition after we finished 2-1 last week with wins against Oregon and Boise State, and a close 3-2 loss against Washington. Ivana and I went to 3 sets in all of our matches so I was happy that my parents and my sister were here to support us. This was the first Easter Sunday in years that our family had no volleyball to attend, so we attended service at Memorial Church on campus. Then we were able to go to lunch at my cousins' house and bring Courtney along. We miss a lot family holiday dinners because of volleyball so it was very nice to be together.
On Tuesday, we played against the top team in the nation, USC. Although the scores may not have been as close as we would have liked, we now know what the competition is like at the highest level. We are a very young team and it was important to see where we are. While many programs are filled with teams composed of seniors and fifth-year graduate students, we only have two upperclassmen, and we have two all-freshmen pairs in our lineup. One of those pairs is comprised of two defensive specialists on the indoor team -- Caitlin Keefe from Pacific Palisades, California, and Morgan Hentz from Lakeside Park, Kentucky. Although they had little-to-no beach experience before coming to Stanford, Caitlin and Morgan have made a huge impact on our team playing at the No. 3 and No. 4 positions this season.
Even though both are considered "shorts" on the beach, Caitlin and Morgan were outside hitters in their youth careers so they were easily able to split time between blocking and defending. They go all out on every point, diving after every ball and even sneakily sending a pass over on the first or second touch in the middle of a long rally.
I have experienced how competitive they are first hand -- I played AYSO soccer on the same team with Caitlin when I was in 2nd grade and she was in first, and even then, she stood out because of her athleticism and how hard she played. I played against Morgan in club volleyball in 16's when she was an unstoppable 5'8" outside hitter playing up a year. I asked them a few questions so we could get to know them better. What's your favorite thing about your partner?
CK: She pushes me to be my best self and the best player I can be because she wants me to succeed. She is also an incredible friend that does the little things for me like setting out my clothes before practice when she knows I'm rushing from class.
MH: Cait always has the most positive outlook on life. She does her best to always be kind to others no matter what and it's truly admirable.
What is the least favorite thing about your partner?
CK: That she doesn't like my favorite nickname for her.
MH: Cait is right about just everything and I hate admitting that I'm wrong.
Do you have any pregame superstitions?
CK: We must have my water bottle with me in case games get close.
MH: We have to have Cait's light blue water bottle with us whenever we play.
What is the biggest difference between beach and indoor to you?
CK: Beach you have to have better ball placement and overall skills. In indoor, there is a lot more specialization.
MH: The biggest difference between indoor and beach for me is learning how to adjust to the outdoor environment -- learning how to play with the wind was definitely difficult!
What is your favorite pregame and postgame meal?
CK: Pregame food is whatever I'm eating for lunch that day. I always feel like pizza after I play a long day in the sand.
MH: Favorite pregame food is a Thanksgiving style meal. Favorite post game meal is any kind of Mexican food.
Do you have a secret nickname for your partner?
CK: Moe, mo mo, and a secret one.
MH: Nickname for Caitlin is just Cait! Oh and as a partnership, Coach Andrew and Karissa always call us the "Honey-Badgers".
What is your favorite account on Instagram to follow?
CK: I only follow my friends.
MH: Bethany Hamilton.
What is your favorite place on campus?
CK: Lake Lag or the Oval.
MH: Main quad and Oval.
What is your favorite quote?
CK: "A flower does not compare itself to others, it just blooms."
MH: "Play like an underdog with the confidence of a champion."
Give us a random fun fact about yourself…
CK: I am 5 minutes older than Michaela.
MH: I can gleek on command.
Thank you to all of those who attended our final home matches this season! We are off to the warm desert to play Arizona on Friday at 6 p.m. PT and Arizona State on Saturday at 3 p.m. It will help us prepare for the Pac-12 Championships next week in Arizona as well.
Signing off,
Pay10