Written by Aaron Cheng '16

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Junior goalkeeper Sydni Estrella (SE) of the women's water polo team took some time to speak with Santa Clara Broncos (SCB) about the unique goalkeeper position and stepping up as the starting goalie.

SCB: How do you feel about stepping up after graduating your starting goalie last year?

SE: I feel very confident in stepping up to help our team reach our goals this season and have been preparing for this moment for the past two years. 

SCB: Did the offseason prepare you to step up into this new role? How?

SE: I actually believe the past two years have prepared me to step up into this new role but during the offseason I worked on fine-tuning skills that needed to be worked on. 

SCB: As a unique position, what do you do differently than the rest of the team to prepare for games?

SE: I actually do a lot of the same things as my non-goalie teammates to get ready for games. We all listen to music and pump each other up. The only thing I really do differently is get in a little earlier than everyone else to warm up my legs and get ready for shots. 

SCB: What physical and mental aspects of your game do you rely on the most to make you and the team successful?

SE: Some physical aspects of the game are to have everyone strong and healthy and the most mental aspect of the game is to have great team chemistry, which I think we have a lot of. 

SCB: Which opponent do you look forward to facing the most this year and why?

SE: I actually look forward to facing everyone on our schedule this year. It should be a great season, but I really look forward to playing University of Hawaii since we have never beaten them before.