University of Minnesota Athletics
Senior Spotlight: Daly Santana
5/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
One of two seniors on the 2015 roster, Daly Santana is set to graduate this spring with a youth studies degree. On the court, the outside hitter saved her best season for her last when she led the Golden Gophers to their first Big Ten Championship title since 2002 and their first Final Four berth since 2009. Santana was named an AVCA First Team All-American, her first All-America honor as a Golden Gopher. In her final year with Minnesota, Santana was named the Big Ten Player of the Year after she led the league with 4.53 kills per set. A four-year, six rotation starter for the Golden Gophers, Santana amassed 1,644 career kills, 182 aces and 1,280 digs, all of which ranks in the top 10 in Minnesota school history. Since concluding her Gopher career, Santana played professionally for the San Juan Capitalinas, where she was named the league's most valuable player and helped the team to a runner-up title. She will return to Puerto Rico, soon to help the national team secure a spot in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Walking in graduation this week, gophersports.com caught up with Santana for this short quesion/answer session.
Gophersports.com: Describe your experience at the University of Minnesota and what it meant to be a Golden Gopher.
Daly Santana: The decision to come to Minnesota was by far the best I've ever made. It made me a better player, it made me a better person, it adhered my education; it gave me a lot of things that I will take with me for a long time onto my professional career and my person life. It really shaped who I am today and I really don't think it would've been this good if I went anywhere else.
GS: You've had a crazy few months, finishing your college career/school, and then going to play pro. How much of a transition did you go through over this past year?
DS: I had a lot of fun in that last year as a Gopher. I think we worked really hard and we went really far and we earned that. I think that's something that we can proudly say "Hey, we earned where we got" and that's really important to me. Moving onto professional season, it was a little bit of a shock. It's very different, but at the same time, we also had a very successful season; we got to the finals as a team that had been out of the league for 10 years. That's not something many teams do. I'm really proud of that too. Hopefully, I will be going to the Olympics and if that happens, it's just the cherry on the top. That could just top off a great year of many different experiences that have shaped me. I loved my experience as a Gopher, especially that last year. I had a really good time in Puerto Rico, but if the Olympics happen, it's the ultimate goal. It's an amazing thing to accomplish, not just for me, but for my family, for the program here as a Gopher and my team back home that I play for. It's not just something that affects me; it affects where I've been and my family.
GS: You're back on campus to graduate. You're getting your degree, but what's it going to be like to walk in graduation?
DS: I actually wasn't sure if I was going to make it to walk through, but I'm really happy I got the chance to be here and actually do it. It means a lot to me, it means a lot to my family to actually graduate, it hasn't been easy, and I wouldn't have been able to do it if it wasn't for volleyball so this program gave me that opportunity. It feels like I took that opportunity and I'm finally getting that "I did it" moment. It's really exciting and I can't wait to actually walk the walk.
GS: What is your advice for other student-athletes?
DS: Just take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself to you every day and just being here is a big deal. This is a great university and a great program, for both academics and athletics. Just taking advantage of being here and knowing that you're doing something great. Just to know that at some point this is going to be over so enjoy it while it lasts. Take the knowledge you've learned while you're here into your next adventure.
