Daisy Sanchez enters her fourth season with Stanford women's soccer in 2025.
Playing its first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024, Sanchez helped guide Stanford back to the College Cup for a second consecutive year – the only team to manage the feat. The Cardinal went 16-5-2 overall, including 5-4-1 in the ACC, but missed the ACC Tournament. Using the respite from play, the Cardinal hit its stride as the postseason arrived, advancing past UC Santa Barbara, UConn, Arkansas and Notre Dame to punch a ticket to an All-ACC College Cup featuring Stanford, North Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest. The Cardinal ultimately fell 1-0 to Wake Forest in a national semifinal. Four players earned All-ACC recognition following the regular season, with Jasmine Aikey and Mia Bhuta claiming second-team honors. Elise Evans landed on the third team, while freshman Eleanor Klinger earned a spot on the All-ACC Freshman Team. Bhuta, Aikey and Evans each were named All-Atlantic Region, as Bhuta earned a spot on the first team while Aikey and Evans landed on the fourth team. Bhuta, who scored three goals and assisted on two more for eight points while logging 1,849 minutes in Stanford's midfield, was the lone Cardinal to earn All-America honors after being named to United Soccer Coaches’ fourth team.
Sanchez helped lead the Cardinal back to the NCAA National Championship match for the sixth time in 2023, finishing as the runner-up after defeating BYU 2-0 in the NCAA Semifinal. Stanford finished the year 20-1-4 overall and posted an 8-0-3 mark in its final season in the Pac-12 Conference. Sophomore Jasmine Aikey was named 2023 Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year and senior Ryan Campbell earned Goalkeeper of the Year, highlighting a group of 10 Cardinal on All-Pac-12 teams. Stanford matched a national-high with four players on the 2023 United Soccer Coaches All-Pacific Region first team, with Campbell and Aikey being joined by Maya Doms and Elise Evans. The Cardinal averaged 2.16 goals per game to rank second in the Pac-12, while also posting 13 shutouts and limiting opponents to just .595 goals against to lead the conference and rank 14th nationally.
In her first season with Stanford, Sanchez helped lead the Cardinal to a Pac-12 title in 2022. Stanford went 17-2-3 overall and posted a 9-1-1 record in conference play to earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Stanford earned a national-best five All-Region selections and was the only team in the nation to feature four first-team honorees. The Cardinal finished the season ranked first in the nation in shots per game (11.05) and boasted the eighth-best scoring offense at 2.64 goals per contest. On the defensive side, Stanford posted 12 shutouts while limiting opponents to just .54 goals per match – best in the Pac-12 and sixth nationally.
Sanchez has spent the last decade-plus coaching at the club level, including stints with MVLA Soccer Club and Los Gatos United Soccer Club before joining Palo Alto Soccer Club in 2022. Sanchez also served as head coach of the Los Gatos High School girls varsity soccer team from 2018-19 and was a coach and recruiter for Elite Player Development in Tukwila, Wash. from 2016-18.
Prior to beginning her coaching career, Sanchez played professionally in the Women’s Premier Soccer League for more than eight years.
While competing collegiately at CSU Bakersfield, Sanchez was selected for the Mexican National Team, playing with the senior team from 2009-11, and was a part of the player pool for the 2010 CONCACAF games.
Over four years played with the Roadrunners, including serving as team captain as a senior, Sanchez accumulated one goal and 11 assists while playing in 72 matches.
A 2012 graduate of CSUB with a degree in criminal justice and a minor in physical education and kinesiology, Sanchez has earned a National B License from the United States Soccer Federation.
Born and raised in Redwood City, Calif., Sanchez’ family hails from Guadalajara, Jalisco. She is married to her college sweetheart, Chuy Sanchez, who played soccer at CSUB and is currently an associate head coach with San Jose State’s men’s soccer program.