Beach Volleyball

EYEBRONCO: An introduction to Kirsten Mead

2015 Sand Action Photos

AS A FRESHMAN IN 2014: Honored as the WCC Freshman of the Year … one of three Bronco freshmen named to the WCC All-Freshman Team … also named All-WCC Honorable Mention … played in 30 matches this year, missing the matches at Saint Mary’s and Pacific due to an injury … collected five double-doubles this year (assists and digs), also topping 50+ assists in nine matches … currently No. 2 nationally in assists behind the Stanford setter … named All-Tournament at ACICS Hofstra Invitational … led the team with 1255 assists … recorded 35 aces … tallied 180 digs, averaging 1.71 dpg … vs. St. Francis Brooklyn (Aug. 29) had 21 assists … started vs. Lafayette (Aug. 30), picking up 23 assists and 3 aces … started at Hofstra (Aug. 30), earning 59 assists, 3 kills and 13 digs … at Army (Sept. 2), picked up 38 assists, 2 aces, 3 kills and 3 digs … started vs. Central Conn. St. (Sept. 5), had 3 kills and 36 assists … at Harvard (Sept. 5), started and picked up 44 assists, 2 aces, 4 digs and 3 kills … vs. Delaware (Sept. 6) started, picked up 44 assists and 2 kills … vs. Penn (Sept. 12), started and had 36 assists … vs. No. 20 Duke (Sept. 13) started, picked up 34 assists with 5 kills and 8 digs … at No. 1 Stanford (Sept. 13) scored 33 assists … at UCSB (Sept. 19) had 37 assists, 4 aces and 6 digs … vs. NIU (Sept. 20) 42 assists and 4 digs … at Cal Poly (Sept. 20) earned 55 assists, 4 kills, 2 aces and 8 digs … at San Francisco (Sept. 26) had 25 assists, 2 kills and 8 digs … vs. Pacific (Sept. 30), had 30 assists and 10 digs … at No. 24 San Diego (Oct. 2) earned 57 assists with 3 aces, 4 kills and 10 digs … at No. 10 BYU (Oct. 4) started and earned 25 assists, 2 kills and 7 digs … vs. Portland (Oct. 9) had with 43 assists, 3 aces and 10 digs … vs. Gonzaga (Oct. 10) started and had 57 assists and 5 digs … at Pepperdine (Oct. 16) picked up 56 assists with 7 digs … at No. 24 LMU (Oct. 18) started and had 54 assists and 6 digs ... had 40 assists and 4 digs vs. No. 11 BYU (Oct. 30) ... earned 66 assists and and 6 digs vs. No. 24 USD (Nov. 1) ... had 59 assists and 16 digs at Gonzaga (Nov. 6) ... picked up 38 assists and 3 digs at Portland (Nov. 8) ... earned 33 assists, 8 digs and 3 blocks vs. No. 24 LMU (Nov. 13) … tallied 56 assists and 8 digs against Pepperdine (Nov. 15) … recorded 42 assists, 8 digs and 2 block assists in 3-0 shutout over USF (Nov. 20) … had 41 assists along with 2 service aces and 3 digs against Saint Mary’s (Nov. 24) … recorded 1 kill, 2 digs, and 31 assists at No. 13 Oregon in the first round of the NCAA Tournament (Dec. 5).

HIGH SCHOOL: 2013 WCAL Player of the Year and First Team ... 2013 San Jose Mercury News First Team and Co-Player of the Year ... 2013 Finalist for PrepVolleyball National Player of the Year ... 2013 MaxPreps First Team All-American, Medium Schools and First-Team All State ... 2013 PrepVolleyball High School All-American ... 2013 PrepVolleyball Academic All-American, Second Team ... 2013 PrepVolleyball Senior Ace (top 125) ... 2013 NCSAA Large School Co-National Player of the Year and All-American First Team ... 2013 Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions All Tournament Team ... 2012 Max Preps California All State, Division III ... 2012 MaxPreps Second Team All-American, medium schools ... 2012 All WCAL Second Team ... 2013 Team was nationally ranked No. 6 by MaxPreps ... 2013 WCAL Champions ... 2013 Division III Champions ... 2013 NorCal Champions ... 2013 California State Champions ... 2012 Team Division III CCS Champions ... 2012 California State Division III Semifinalist ... Senior Year Stats: 639 assists, 302 kills, 83 aces, 69 blocks and 310 digs ... Junior Year Stats: 606 assists, 249 kills, 83 aces, 49 blocks and 330 digs. 

CLUB: Played for Stingray, Payes and City Beach indoor club teams and Main Beach Elite Sand team ... member of 2013 USA Beach National U19 A1 Team ... AAA rated beach volleyball player ... 2012 USA Junior Beach Tour 16U National Champions ... won 18 beach tournaments since starting sand game in 2011. 

PERSONAL: Daughter of Hardwin and Tamara Mead ... has four siblings, Lowell (37), Paul (35), Brian (31) and Austin (19) ... Brian was a four-time All-American water polo player at Johns Hopkins and the DIII National Player of the Year ... she won the academic excellence award for top AP Economics student ... three-time winner of math awards ... won Biology, Photography and Spanish awards ... named Outstanding Scholar Athlete in 2014 Class ... Spanish Honor Society ... Graduated with High Honors (top 5%) ... studying in the Leavey School of Business.

WHY KIRSTEN CHOSE SANTA CLARA: I chose Santa Clara because it has the right combination of academics and athletics. I really like the coaches and the girls on the team. I also wanted to go to college in California, and I love the campus.