Wake Forest Athletics
Q&A With Bianca D'Agostino
9/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 24, 2010
This article was originally published in the Sept. 11 edition of Kickoff, the official gameday magazine of Wake Forest football.
Q: What made you decide to come to Wake Forest?
A: I wanted to come to a top ACC school. I spoke with (head coach) Tony (da Luz) and he seemed like a coach that I would really want to learn from and respect. I also thought that living in North Carolina would be a really nice change for me.
Q: You had a chance to travel to England with the United States U-17 National Team. How does it feel to put on a National Team jersey and know that you are representing your country?
A: It's a little nerve-racking every time you put the jersey on, but I think wearing a jersey with the national team crest is one of the coolest things that you could ever do.
Q: What are your goals for this season, both individually and for the team?
A: Individually I'm trying to become more of a leader and score some more goals this season. As a team, we of course want to win the ACC and NCAA championships, but we're also trying to record 16 shutouts and score 50 goals as a team, so those are our measurable goals.
Q: As team captain and also as one of the only seniors on a young team, how have you handled stepping into a leadership role and what have you done to help the 10 freshmen get adjusted to playing college soccer?
A: I'd never had to be the vocal leader before this season because I've always been the youngest on the teams that I've played for. Being the captain and one of the oldest on the team this year, I've definitely had to step up my leadership role and become a person that young girls can come talk to and that the whole team can respect.
Q: What has been your favorite part about playing for Tony da Luz and the rest of the coaching staff?
A: I like that it's serious when it needs to be, but we can also joke around with them. We are very comfortable with each other and we have a lot of fun.
Q: Coach da Luz has said that the team goes through you, both offensively and defensively. Why is your role so important?
A: I think it goes back to the fact that I'm the captain and also my position on the field as a center midfielder. The ball needs to be coming through me on the attack, but I also defend a lot. I think that when some of the younger players on the team see me doing something, it reminds them of what they are supposed to be doing.
Q: You have started almost every game since you have arrived at Wake Forest. How has playing against ACC competition helped you improve individually as a player?
A: Since the ACC is in my opinion the best conference in the country, once you get to the NCAA Tournament, you're already prepared because you've already played against top competition. In the ACC you have to play quicker and play harder, so I think that definitely benefits you as a player.
Q: With Wake Forest reaching the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history in 2009, do you feel like the expectation level around the program has changed?
A: I think that we've always had high expectations for ourselves, but since we've proved that we can be a top team, I think that people who have doubted us in the past are beginning to change their minds. Now, we just have to be consistent and maintain a high level of play.
Q: What is your major at Wake Forest and what are your plans for after graduation?
A: I'll be graduating in December, so I'm hoping to play in the Women's Professional Soccer league which starts in the end of February or March. If that doesn't work out, then doing something in sports media might be cool, but my ultimate goal is just to be playing after the season.
Q: You were named to the 2009 All-ACC Academic Team, what did that mean to you, and how important have academics been to your time here at Wake Forest?
A: I went to a prep school for high school and I've always been challenged academically. It's always been important to me to get A's and B's so that I can be respected not only from a soccer standpoint, but also from an academic standpoint as well.
