Card Essentials: Sami Francis

Welcome to the latest installment of Card Essentials, where Stanford student-athletes share the stories behind the items they carry every day, big or small. We caught up with Sami Francis, a middle blocker for Stanford women's volleyball ahead of the NCAA women's volleyball tournament. The senior is coming off of an ACC Defensive Player of the Week honor and was recently selected to the ACC All-Conference First Team. Sami took some time to show us what she has with her every day and what each item means to her.

GoStanford.com: Out of everything, what here can't you live without?
Sami Francis: "I cannot leave the house at any point of the day without having my eyelash curler with me. Every single day I feel like it makes me look complete having my lashes curled. Don't ask me why, it just has to be done. This is my 24/7 every single day essential item right here"

GS: Tell us about the candle! Are you a big candle person?
SF: "Since it's fall I'm obsessed with fall-scented candles. This one is cinnamon spice vanilla, and as you can see I've gone through it pretty heavily. This is pretty much my favorite scent for this time of the year. I love it!"

GS: Do you have any game-day essentials in here? What do you have to have on game days? 
SF: "This brush is pretty much a game-day essential. I have to have my hair up with a slick back ponytail, or some sort of crazy updo. Recently it's been double buns or a spiky bun or a slick-back ponytail. Pretty much every single game I'm using this brush or I'm using this gel so it's always with me"

GS: We noticed the lip gloss! 
SF: "So, if you pay close attention, we are always strapped on the bench on the volleyball team with some sort of lip gloss. I'll say this one is my everyday game day lipware, and sometimes I like to pair it with this one but I like a little gloss."

GS: Talk to us about the journal! Do you journal often?
SF: "Pretty much every night I'll do a little light reflection of my day. Just how I'm feeling and how the season's been going, anything on my mind. This is just my way to vent and process how my life's going. I do have a little Lucky Blue pen that I like to write in here with. I would say this is my way to decompress, get to know myself, and reconnect with my emotions every single day."

GS: We love the perfume bottle! Smell good, play good, right?
SF: "I'll say I like to smell good, so every day I leave the house it's got to be both my deodorant and perfume together or sometimes I switch it up. Every single day I'm using something to make myself smell good, and it's pretty much either a coconut or a vanilla scent."

GS: Are you a big chewing gum person?
SF: "Staying on the same wave of I like to smell good, I have to make sure that I have gum or mint with me 24/7. Before games, I like to either chew a piece of gum or have a mint."