Back in the Pac: Lindsey Yamasaki Returns to Stanford for Volleyball Season and a Degree

It would have been understandable if Lindsey Yamasaki had opted to relax and enjoy some down time after finishing her rookie season with the Miami Sol. Instead, the 6-1 forward headed back to Stanford University to finish her degree and suit up for the women�s volleyball team, the defending NCAA Champions and a perennial powerhouse.

Yamasaki is back in the Pac-10, where she ended her basketball career last spring as one of the top scorers and three-point shooters in Stanford history. A two-sport star as a freshman, Yamasaki earned All-Pac-10 Freshman Team honors in volleyball before opting to focus on hoops for her final three seasons.

�It has taken me the majority of the season to reacquaint myself with volleyball, and I wouldn�t say I�m completely comfortable out there yet,� said Yamasaki, who will earn a degree in urban studies in December. �Reacquainting myself with Stanford has been a different story. Within my first few hours on campus I was back in the swing of things with my friends, classes and practice.�

The 22-year-old is no stranger to the demands of life as a college athlete, but her time management skills are getting perhaps their best workout ever. Her days are filled juggling classes, practice, games, travel, homework � and hair.

�It is true, I�m the �hairdoer� on the team,� laughs Yamasaki, who dons her trademark bows and styles many of her teammates� hair on game days.

Ribbons and hairdos aside, however, the Cardinal is all business when it steps on the court. Led by senior Logan Tom, a member of the U.S. Olympic Team in 2000, the team has climbed to fourth place on the USA Today poll after defeating No. 1 Hawaii on Nov. 10, one week after upsetting previously top-ranked USC. With a record of 24-3, Stanford is in contention to defend its title as the NCAA Tournament nears, with first-round action set to begin December 5.

�Volleyball and basketball are two sports that compliment one another very well,� said Yamasaki, who plans to play in a pro basketball league in Europe in January. �It keeps things interesting.�

In the meantime, she is enjoying the opportunity to be back with friends and in the high-energy atmosphere of a college campus.

�I fee like I�ve gotten another chance to have my �final days� here at school, and I love it,� she said.

(Volleyball photo courtesy of Dave Gonzales, Stanford Athletics; WNBA photo by Fernando Medina/WNBAE/Getty Images)