SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Mary Shepherd (MS) is using her summer to train hard and prepare herself for her second season on the Bronco volleyball team. After having a standout freshman season, Shepherd is hoping that putting in some extra work will pay off down the line and bring the Broncos closer to a WCC title. SantaClaraBroncos.com (SCB) caught up with Shepherd to see how her summer training has been going.

SCB: Do you have any big plans this summer?

MS: Yes! My summer plans are to work really hard to get in the best possible shape physically for the coming volleyball season, to enjoy my family on vacation, and to work as a coach at volleyball camps at both Santa Clara and in my hometown. 

SCB: What is your usual go-to summer workout?

MS: We have a great workout routine with Sparta that pushes us physically and mentally. It's really improving our strength, stamina and agility - it's hard work, but we all love it!  On the days that I'm not doing our Sparta workouts, I play volleyball whenever I can with my old club teammates who all play collegiate volleyball.

SCB: How are you feeling heading into your second season as a Bronco?

MS: I'm extremely excited about my second season playing Bronco volleyball!  While we graduated some great senior players, we also have a very strong foundation of returning players and awesome teammates, plus some fantastic incoming players who have the potential to be big contributors. We know we can and will do even better things than we did last season.

SCB: Is there anything you are trying to work on this summer before season starts up?

MS: Staying in shape and keeping my volleyball skills sharp. Preseason practices are always challenging and I want to be as prepared as possible.

SCB: Have you set any goals for the up coming season yet? 

MS: Both individually and as a team, we all want to win the WCC this season. We have the talent, the coaches and the commitment to make that happen!

Go Broncos!