Welcome BACK!!!

And we are back at it! Our fall season has officially ended with Thanksgiving and Finals coming up! We thought a little recap of our fall would be helpful for an intro before Season starts!

School started off with a bang and we got right into meeting the new members to our team! We took a nice, musically filled car ride up to Stinson Beach and had a night full of s'mores, stories, and some good ol' Stanford bonding! We learned that Julia is not afraid of picking up odd objects on the beach, like FULL DEAD CRABS! and that Gabby really loves to stand in "quick sand"... the team took a nice stroll down to the point and found this AMAZING tree! Of course, we instantly wanted to take a model shot...

Then came ALUMNI GAME! It was great to play with and against the alums and watch our Seniors play their last one as a player! I'm pretty sure all the goalies played as field players and Kate Baldoni and Gabby having a few goals each! The alums beat us by a few goals, but we'll get 'em next year!

Lastly, we ended pre-season with the best tradition out there, FRESHMAN SYNCHRO! Our freshman danced to "Ice, Ice Baby" - a true classic. They performed at half time of Big Splash and made the crowd roar with their fabulous dance and water moves. We were all very proud and they really gave our team some inspiration because Stanford came back to WIN the game after their show... that is some real team spirit right there! Here is a look at their stellar performance!

Hope EVERYONE has a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

Lots of love!

Stanford "THANKFUL FOR OUR" Team :)

Breakfast of Champions

This past weekend, we had the pleasure of staying at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley. Aside from its beautiful views of the bay and overall glamorous atmosphere, it had the BEST food we have had during a travel trip. Not your average hotel continental breakfast!

Eggs Benedict

Poached Eggs with Asparagus and Avocado Salsa on Brioche

Fresh Fruit with Vanilla Bean Yogurt

Complimentary Biscuits with Apricot Compote

And of course, a morning Latte!

Needless to say, we were just a little bit spoiled. Definitely a breakfast fit for champions!

Senior Day

This past weekend our team celebrated the class of 2013 with Senior Day. At our game against UCLA (which we won 8-1 whoop whoop) the seniors were introduced and everyone in the stands got to see how amazing they all are.

Later on everyone’s families met up at Buca d Beppo downtown for a dinner honoring the seniors. Everyone had so much fun and the food was delicious. However, my personal favorite part of the evening was the freshman rap. The freshman had some big shoes to fill because my class killed it last year, but the freshies definitely gave us a run for our money. They serenaded the crowd to the tune of the “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” and did an amazing job.

Senior day was a huge success and was a perfect way to honor the hard work of all of the seniors over the past 4 (or 5) years. Everyone in the senior class had an incredible final home game and Avery Aquatic Center will miss them!

Happy Easter!

The team got their Easter baskets early this year... big thanks to the Grossman family!

Cardinal vs. Crimson

As finals come to an end, we're gearing up for the battle of the nerds. Come down to the pool at 7 PM tonight to watch us welcome the Harvard Women's Water Polo Team to the Farm! Go Card!

Polo in Every Pool!

For the last few years, freshman Skylar Dorosin has been working with Brenda Villa on Project 20/20, which aims to give opportunities to young girls to try out water polo. Brenda (Stanford '03) was able to play and love water polo thanks to a community program set up in her hometown, and now has 4 Olympic medals. She wants to make sure others have the same chance she did -- who knows, maybe some of the girls from yesterday will end up at the 2020 Olympic Games!

A few of the girls from the team headed over to Bell Haven Pool yesterday to help out and get involved. Here are some great pics!

Gurpreet is Ready to Go!

Gurpreet was so excited to train and get ready for the UCI Tournament this weekend that she put her suit on inside out! We still think she looks ready to go (:

Hope to see you all down south for what promises to be a GREAT weekend of water polo.

Earning Top Dollar for Camp Kesem!

Congrats to the freshmen of Women's Water Polo for having the highest team earnings towards Camp Kesem, a great philanthropy that provides support for families that have dealt with or are currently dealing with cancer. Click here to find out more about Stanford's involvement and watch the video from Athlete Date Auction, the fundraising event from last night!

Putting in Work

Stanford Invitational 2013 -- 1st Place!

4 games. 2 days. 1 incredibly successful weekend. Gotta love this place (:

East Coast Adventures // by Kate

Over Christmas break I spontaneously decided to book a trip to the east coast to visit some friends, including one I traveled to Italy with last summer. I took a red eye to Washington D.C. and landed at about 8:30 in the morning. After a long night of traveling, I was ready to tour the city! My friend, Taylor, picked me up from the airport and showed me all the tourist sites including the Lincoln Memorial and the White House. As a member of the Baldoni family, it was my honor to finally have a chance to meet Anna Mae Hayes, the first women general in the military. I called her up that morning and asked to meet since everyone else in my close family has had the chance to make it to D.C. to visit her. My relations to Anna Mae is through my grandfather, who worked under her while he was serving in the army. Anna Mae, who is currently 93 years old, agreed to have lunch with my friend Taylor and me the following day. We went to her condominium complex, which had a great view of the mall in Washington D.C (as you can see in the picture). Taylor ended up driving her car and took us to lunch at the officer’s club. We were lucky enough to have special parking because of Anna Mae’s rank. During lunch we learned all about her life, the different places she traveled in her 30 years in the military, the type of work she did, the Presidents she was able to build relationships with, etc. She has lived a very eventful life. She even gave us advice on our lives: work hard to get what you want! Anna Mae acted like she was 20 years younger than she was! Our conversation was great and I was so happy to finally have a chance to meet her. Although I was the last of the Baldoni’s to meet her, it was worth the wait and I hope I have the opportunity to see her again!

Showing Our Support!

What's one of the best things about Stanford Athletics? The support we all show each other! Here's our team at the Women's Basketball game this past Friday night. The girls beat the UCLA Bruins 75-49, keep up the good work!

Defender Twins!

Great minds think alike!!

Sweet as a Rose // by Ashley

This year I had a really happy New Year!  Not only did our football team win the Rosebowl on New Year's Day, but I got to spend several days with my family and best friends from school at my house.  A few days before the Rosebowl, 5 of my friends drove down from school to come spend New Years and see the game with me.  After meeting them at the JW Mariott to pick up our gorgeous and shiny tickets, where the lobby was a complete sea of cardinal, we all went back to my house to hang out and go out to dinner.  On New Year's Eve, I planned a huge dinner with my best friends from home and my best friends from my other home, Stanford! I was in heaven having my friends from two sections of my life hang out with each other.  The next day, we were up early to drive to the Rosebowl.  At the alumni tailgate we were completely doted upon with food, games, and good company.  Of course, the game was awesome.  Oh, and did I mention that my cousin, who attends the University of Wisconsin, Madison came to the game too?! She was required to sit in the Stanford section.  Good thing red and cardinal are similar colors.  The next day my teammates and I got up early to road trip back to school to practice.  We are all so excited season is starting! Happy 2013!