STANFORD, Calif. – Seniors Evan Enriques, Kevin Rakestraw and Jake Stuebner will play in their final regular season match at Maples Pavilion on Saturday, March 31 at 5 p.m. against Concordia.
The group took time to reflect on their experiences on The Farm and with the Stanford men's volleyball program.
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Evan Enriques • Libero • Punalu'u, Hawai'i
Looking back, what are some of your favorite memories with Stanford volleyball?
- Playing alongside a great team in 2016, with three first team All-Americans
- Beating BYU in five in Provo in 2016
- Gossiping in the ice bath with the boyz after practice and games
What do you know now that you wish you knew as a freshman?
- I wish I knew how to pass half the court as freshmen.
- I wish I knew how to sneak into Flo Mo dinners on Sundays.
What do you think you will miss most about this team?
- I'm going to miss seeing the guys everyday.
Off the court, what has been the best thing you have experienced at Stanford?
- The best thing to come out of my Stanford experience is the realization that Stanford is the most elite school in the world in terms of athletics and academics. I've been extremely blessed to be a part of this university over the last four years.
What will you miss most about being a college student?
- The parties!! Nah nah....jk
- The thing I think I'm going to miss the most, even though I probably don't realize it yet, is the freedom to live my life with very minimal responsibility outside of school and volleyball.
What has been your favorite class at Stanford?
- ENGR 103 - Public Speaking
- This class transformed me into a better speaker and presenter, and provided me with a skill set that I can utilize for the rest of my life.
What are your plans for after graduation?
- Figure out a way to apply my degree (science, technology and society) in a career of fishing.
Kevin Rakestraw • Middle Blocker • Newport Beach, Calif.
Looking back, what are some of your favorite memories with Stanford volleyball?
- Hanging out in the locker room after practices. I'll remember that more than any practice or game.
What do you know now that you wish you knew as a freshman?
- How to talk to girls. Still don't really know that though.
What do you think you will miss most about this team?
- Everyone to be making fun of everyone, but in a loving way.
- Making fun of Chris is my favorite.
Off the court, what has been the best thing you have experienced at Stanford?
- Hanging out with Rob Lowe's son.
What has been your favorite class at Stanford?
- Acting for non-majors because it taught me to express my emotions in a big way.
What will you miss most about being a college student?
- Learning an entire quarter of material right before the final.
What are your plans for after graduation?
- Looking to pursue volleyball overseas, but other than that no clue. Hire me.
Jake Stuebner • Libero • Los Altos, Calif.
Looking back, what are some of your favorite memories with Stanford volleyball?
- Beating #1 BYU in Provo in five sets during the 2016 season was probably my favorite game. It was so much fun to win in front of a huge crowd.
- I've also enjoyed the winter and spring breaks spent with the team on campus.
- The team trip to Europe over the summer was also a highlight.
What do you know now that you wish you knew as a freshman?
- I wish I had known that everything works out. Problem sets, papers, and practices can pile up, but I have found that everything ends up getting done and that it is usually not worth the stress.
What do you think you will miss most about this team?
- I am going to miss all of the laughs that we have as a team. There are so many jokes that we've had over the years.
- I am going to miss ice bathing after practice and talking with my teammates about our days and the crazy things that happened.
- I will also miss working hard with my teammates day after day, whether it is in the weight room or in the gym.
- The common thread through all of this is that I am going to miss my teammates.
Off the court, what has been the best thing you have experienced at Stanford?
- I got the opportunity to study abroad in Santiago, Chile last summer through Stanford. I spent 11 weeks living with a Chilean family, learning Spanish, and taking classes. It was unforgettable to travel throughout South America on the weekends and see some of the world's most beautiful places.
What has been your favorite class at Stanford?
- I've got two favorites. I really enjoyed "Game Theory" because the economic model challenged me to think about how people make decisions.
- I also really liked a political philosophy class I took called "Justice" because the professor, Rob Reich, led some great discussions about what it means to live a just life.
What will you miss most about being a college student?
- I am going to miss being surrounded by so many fun and interesting people. It has been a blast living in such close proximity of all my friends.
What are your plans for after graduation?
- I'll be sticking around Stanford to finish my co-term Master's in Public Policy.