Written by Kennedy Dinius '17
Ashleigh Bandimere impressed many with her talent when she began playing for the women's water polo team at Santa Clara, so much so that she was named WWPA co-Newcomer of the Year in 2012. Two years later, Bandimere is ready to impress everyone again. She is ready to keep elevating her game and be a key player for her team. Before the kick-off in the new Golden Coast Conference, Santa Clara Broncos (SCB) sat down with Ashleigh Bandimere to get ready for the upcoming season.
SCB: What were your thoughts after being named WWPA co-Newcomer of the Year in 2012?
AB: As a freshman, I was really nervous about playing at the college level, so receiving the WWPA Newcomer of the Year Award was a huge surprise and a big honor. It also set the bar pretty high for the rest of my college water polo career.
SCB: As an upperclassman, what do you hope to teach the younger players?
AB: I remember my first season of water polo at Santa Clara and being extremely anxious and a little bit intimidated about the difference in play between high school and college water polo. Now, having made the adjustment, I'm comfortable with the team dynamics of SCUWWP and the level of our opponents and hope to make the adjustment easier for our freshmen.
SCB: What is your favorite part about being a student-athlete here at SCU?
AB: My favorite part about being an athlete at Santa Clara is that I can use water polo as a sort of temporary escape from all of the responsibilities and stress of school. When I have a hard day of class it's great to be able to forget about all of that for a while and get out some of the pent up aggression in the pool.
SCB: What are your personal goals for the season?
AB: My goals for this season are to keep improving upon my previous seasons at SCU and to do my best to fill whatever role the team requires of me, as well as to be the first winners of the new Golden Coast Conference.