Those who have watched Stephanie Verdoia’s collegiate career thus far would never believe that she hasn’t always been a naturally talented soccer player, but she admits that this wasn’t always the case. Starting out playing with the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) in her home state of Utah, her parents just wanted to involve her in something active and she remembers “I was the youngest and I was not good, but it was fun.”
Flash forward nearly 15 years and the story is much different. Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Academic All-American. Joe Kearney Award winner, given to the best female and male student-athletes in the WAC. Just a few of the numerous titles Verdoia has recently accumulated, including Seattle U Female Student-Athlete of the Year in 2012-13 and, most recently, Bill Fenton Female Athlete of the Year in 2013-14.
For Verdoia, nothing compared to winning the WAC tournament championship in 2013, capping off an undefeated conference run that they earned as a team. The title game extended their winning streak to 15 straight games and marked their 11th shutout of the season.
“It was pretty unreal and the weirdest part is I didn’t expect anything less than that from my team going into the year. I knew we could do it, but then actually the reality of going undefeated [in conference play], I think that was one of our biggest accomplishments.”
That undefeated conference run and tournament title led the program to uncharted territory, somewhere they’d never been before – the NCAA Division I tournament. They became Seattle U’s first overall team to quality for the NCAA Tournament since reclassifying back to DI.
“Getting to the NCAA Tournament is always something I wanted to do and always something I thought we deserved. It was exciting waiting to see who we’d be up against and everyone’s reactions and feelings going into that. Hearing we would play Portland was exciting, because we knew a lot of our community [would be there]. We were definitely the underdog and, even though we didn’t come out of that game [on top], we never looked like the underdog.”
Both athletically and academically, Verdoia could not imagine having chosen any other school but Seattle U.
“I remember that one of the emphases on my trip here was that academics are just as important as athletics, which I rarely heard at other universities I visited. That always made me really frustrated that I didn’t hear it at other places because it’s like…after four years, what do you do with that? So education has always been big for me – I’ve always loved class, I love being a student; I know I’m a nerd but I love it. So knowing that they made sure there was a balance was key – that we could be competitive and really value athletics but also knowing that in four years, you have to have something else.”
Outside of soccer and academics, Verdoia has been involved in several other groups on campus – most prominently the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). She also became involved with the WAC SAAC at the beginning of last year and was able to take trips to Denver for annual meetings and Las Vegas for the WAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament in March 2014. This upcoming year, Verdoia will serve as the Seattle U SAAC Vice President.
“I’ve really enjoyed it because I’ve gotten to meet student-athletes from other sports and universities and hear about their experiences. It’s put our university in an even more positive light, seeing how it compares to other universities who are at the same level. It’s been nice to meet other people, connect with them, and form relationships, but also realize how lucky I am to be here.”
Despite the numerous accolades, Verdoia has continued to stay grounded and humbled by all the support she’s received.
“It’s really shocking [to win back-to-back titles at the SU Awards show]. I don’t want to sell myself short, but I know the amazing athletes and students who compose this university. To be picked twice is kind of unreal to me, but I’m really grateful that people thought I deserved it. “
Preparing to enter her senior season and final year of eligibility at Seattle U, it’s a bittersweet but exciting time for Verdoia, looking forward to accomplishing even greater heights than the past season.
The best part is “just going to be spending time with the girls. Talking to my friends who are finished with college and playing with other leagues, you realize you never get that connection with that many people again; spending every waking moment going towards a goal together. I’ll definitely be cherishing the time together I have with my best friends.”
After her time at Seattle U is complete, the biggest takeaway for Verdoia will be “how to be a good leader, a good teammate, and honestly just a good person. As a team captain, I’ve learned how to deal with a lot of different emotions and people. It’s also taught me my own humility and ability, to see others around me, and to really know that each person is just as valuable. That’s something I’ve really gotten from the education here too – the whole person, from our mission statement. It’s really taught me to value our world, our community, and individual people.”