Out of the Water with Sharayah Hernandez
4/12/2007 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
Sophomore Sharayah Hernandez of the University of Michigan women's water polo team has been through it all in her short career at Michigan -- it is thanks to her competitive drive that she has never been stopped by a bump in the road. Hernandez posted six goals and 12 assists in her first 12 games as a freshman last season before facing injuries to her shoulders for the remainder of the year. Despite all she faced, she still stepped up to finish tops among field players in assists (30) -- an impressive feat considering a senior-laden roster. Hernandez also netted 21 markers to be among U-M's five rookie 20-goal scorers.
This season, Hernandez is healthy and ready to go. She has already surpassed her goal total from last season with her 22 markers this year, and has dished out 19 assists for 41 points. Hernandez always battles throughout the pool, whether defending two meters or posting up on offense, or fighting for position in the perimeter, her value to the team is immediately noticed.
She credits competition with her sister for her success in water polo, stating she always strives to be the best. This was clear on the spring break trip to Hawaii when she mowed through competition in any card game. Her competitive nature has more importantly translated into the pool, as she -- along with many other talented underclassmen -- create a bright future for Michigan water polo.
Hernandez sat down recently to talk about her time at Michigan.
On why she chose to attend Michigan
"It was a good opportunity at a Division I school. This was an opportunity for me to make an impact right away coming out of high school. I wanted immediate playing time -- I had to work hard for it -- but I knew I had the opportunity as a freshman coming in."
On her best memory inside water polo
"Beating Indiana at Westerns last year. We had lost to them twice and they were talking a lot of trash. I wanted to get my ring, especially against Indiana. That was a memorable moment."
On her best memory outside of water polo
"Last spring, I had a great time here. I finally got to enjoy the weather. We were always at Elbel and relaxing and enjoying college. It was nice to be able to do what I wanted to do and still be able to work out."
On when she started playing water polo
"I started playing water polo my freshman year of high school. My sister played water polo and I always want to be better that my sister at everything; so I tried out and I made it. I am pretty athletic and I adapted to it quickly. I also played volleyball and swam. Volleyball was a nice break from playing water polo year-round and I only swam because of water polo, but my goal was always to play college water polo."
On being part of a large sophomore class
"It's exciting to come in as a freshman with so many good girls. It's exciting to think about where we are going to be in two years and how we are going to come together as a team; I have high hopes for us. We have a strong freshmen class so we are going to be here for a while."
On her improvements from last season to this season
"Last year, I was injured for a while. In the beginning of the year, I played really well and I was really excited about the season. Then my shoulders went out of whack. So this year, after I got my surgery, I felt a lot stronger and I am able to get through practice. My game is improving and getting back to where it used to be. I am happy not to be injured like I was last season."
On her pregame rituals
"I stretch my arms a lot and I like to do a lot of arm work because of my shoulders. I also like to listen to rave music -- hard music with hard beats to pump me up. If I am sleepy on the bus, I listen to it so it wakes me up. It gets me bouncing around and in a good mindset, ready to go."
On her funniest teammate
"I love Farren (Rixter) -- we always laugh about everything together. Shana (Welch) is very funny, too."
COACH MATT ANDERSON'S TAKE:
"Sharayah is very valuable to this team. She can drive, counterattack and post up. She can play different positions on the 6-on-5 and is a very well-rounded player. I noticed that the first time I saw her and I very much liked the type of player she was. She had a good freshman year, though she had injuries. She is having a better sophomore season because she is healthier. She is very competitive out there; whether in practice or in games, she is very much ready to go. If you are her teammate or an opposing player, you better be ready. She takes every play seriously because she wants to succeed."
Contact: Matt Baumer (734) 763-4423
