After a four-goal display over the weekend, ASU senior forward Karin Volpe was named the Pac-10 Women’s Soccer Player of the Week for Sept. 7-13 on Tuesday.
Volpe had three goals against Nebraska on Sunday, the first hat trick of her collegiate career. She has seven goals in six games so far this season, leading the Sun Devils in scoring.
Before practice Tuesday, Volpe sat down with The State Press to talk about soccer superstition, pre-game dance routines and a homemade golden boot.
The State Press: Is there any sort of friendly competition between you and the other forwards as far as who can score the most?
Karin Volpe: In the spring we had a little golden boot for whoever won. I won, so the other forwards had to make me a golden boot. I don’t know if we’re doing that again this year, but the coaches make it a point to announce after every game, “Oh, so-and-so has this many goals,” so there is definitely a little competition.
SP: What was the luckiest goal you’ve scored?
KV: I’d probably say, there was one off a cross, and it was one of those things where it just hit me in the stomach and bounced off into the goal. I guess I would call that my least skillful and luckiest goal.
SP: Do you have any sort of pre-game ritual?
KV: I do. I’m kind of superstitious, so this year I’ve been wearing the same outfit every time we go to the pre-game meal. I wear my black shorts, a white T-shirt, and these socks; they’re like fuzzy, weird-looking socks. I put on my cleats and shin guards in a weird order, and I have to do it the same way every time.
SP: What about a warm-up song?
KV: Anything that really pumps me up. But lately in the locker room we’ve been listening to “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus because Jaz (freshman defender Jasmine Roth) has this routine dance that she does. It’s pretty entertaining.
SP: Which class has been your favorite at ASU so far?
KV: Probably Biology. I like human anatomy and I want to be a physician’s assistant, so that stuff’s really interesting to me. I’ve taken 201 and 202, and I’m taking functional anatomy right now.
SP: What is the best part about being a senior?
KV: You know what to expect more from the coaches. And in certain situations in the game you know what needs to be done, or said to a player if they have a rough game, stuff like that.
SP: Do you have a favorite soccer team?
KV: This sounds bad, but I don’t really watch soccer that much. I definitely watched the World Cup — almost every game, as many as I could.
When the U.S. was playing Algeria, we were having the soccer camp, and it was pretty fun because we woke up all the girls in the morning to watch it in the dorm. They scored that goal in the last few minutes and we all were going crazy.
Reach the reporter at egrasser@asu.edu
