Posted: Jan 18, 2011
By: John Nash, Santa Clara 13'
Outside of the pool, Theo Nasser (San Mateo, Calif.) may be one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. However, in the pool it's a different story. Nasser has developed into one of the Bronco's top two meter defenders, a position that is physically grueling. This past season Nasser racked up seven goals, five steals, and six earned ejections. SantaClaraBroncos.com (SCB) had a chance to sit down with Nasser (TN) and discuss last season's success as well as his favorite home cooked meal!
SCB: Last fall the Broncos finished 19-15 while capturing third place in the WWPA tournament for the second year in a row. Looking back on the season, what was your favorite memory both individually and as a team?
TN: This past fall was a very successful season from both a team and individual standpoint. My favorite memory as a team was our last game of the season. The previous game we lost to LMU, which took us out of contention of winning the WWPA Championship. Our team was disappointed with the loss, but we knew we had one game left and wanted our season to end on a high note. We ended up beating UCSD for the first time in our program's history, which led us to our second consecutive third place finish in the WWPA Tournament and a No. 13 ranking nationally to finish the season. My favorite individual memory was traveling with the team during the season. It was a great experience getting to play in tournaments in southern California and on the East coast because of the exposure and opportunities to play teams we don't usually get matched up against.
SCB: How did redshirting as a freshman benefit you in preparing for last season?
TN: Redshirting played a huge role in preparing me for last season. I was able to observe our team run plays and different defenses from a perspective outside of the pool and got to take what I learned and apply it during practice everyday. This served as a great advantage to me because I felt as though last season was my second year playing, however I am still only a redshirt freshman. Redshirting was absolutely a positive and beneficial experience.
SCB: What's your favorite part of attending SCU?
TN: My favorite aspect of SCU is its extremely tight and close community. Everyone is very friendly and it is rare to not see a familiar face whether it be on your way to class, in the library or at the gym. SCU also provides a great blend of academics and competitive athletics which was also very important to me. I wanted to make sure I was getting a great education while competing on a high level water polo team for a school with a lot of spirit in the student body, and SCU adheres to all of those characteristics.
SCB: Rumor has it your mother is a great cook. What would you consider your mom's specialty?
TN: This rumor is true! My mother is an amazing cook! Whenever I come home and have a break from school and practice, my mother spoils me with all of my favorite food. She has many specialties, but I would have to say my favorite is her prime rib and yams. And she always makes extra for leftovers for me to take home to my housemates.
SCB: Any New Years resolutions?
TN: My friends always tease me about taking a long time to do everything, and claim I am always "lagging" whenever we all want to go do something. My response is that there is no reason to be in a rush, but I guess just to make everyone happy I will make my New Year resolution to speed things up a bit and stop "lagging".
