All-District water polo: Oakdale’s Stender MVP for third straight season

Shelby Stender has done just about everything in her high school water polo career.

The Oakdale High senior played for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship in each of her four varsity seasons, winning the title the past two years.

She completed a perfect four-year league run, never once losing a Valley Foothill Conference or Valley Oak League contest.

And, now, she’s a three-time Stanislaus District girls water polo Player of the Year.

About the only thing Stender had failed to do was beat Davis-Yolo High School, the perennial powerhouse that dominated the section landscape, having won the past six Division I titles and 12 of the last 15 (reaching the final for 15 consecutive seasons).

But she was able to check that off her list when the Mustangs defeated the Blue Devils 7-4 in the semifinal of the Western States tournament in Modesto. She called it the highlight of her 2014 season.

“After the game, Ms. Kline and my dad were both in tears,” said Stender, referring to head coach Diane Kline and assistant Alan Stender. “We talked about beating this team and we’d gone from getting killed and being intimidated to coming within a goal last year, to beating them by three this year. We had come so far.”

Later that afternoon, in the tournament final, the Mustangs nearly beat Bay Area powerhouse Miramonte (Orinda) in the final, but fell 11-10 in overtime – a loss that was about as impressive as the victory over Davis-Yolo.

“We got out to a big lead in that game and I thought, ‘Well, wouldn’t this just be the cherry on top,’ ” said Stender, who signed to attend UC San Diego in the fall where she plans to major in history and economics.

Ultimately, Miramonte’s roster that included several NCAA Division I prospects was too much to overcome. But surely a performance like the Mustangs turned in at the Western States could’ve given the Mustangs an inflated sense of confidence.

“We were very confident about what this team could do, always,” said Kline. “And there were moments when that confidence was reinforced, especially at Western States. That was huge. But we kept thinking back to last season. We played Rio (Americano) in the beginning of the season and they worked us, but we came back and beat them in the section final. So we always had that scenario in the back of our heads.”

And even though the Mustangs nearly won Western States, it didn’t take away from the main focus: repeating as section champion. And Stender played a key role in the title run.

She finished with 68 goals (second behind Emily Bennett’s 80) and was third with 57 steals (third behind goalie Caitlin Golding’s 95 and Bennett’s 67). But more than numbers, it’s Stender’s leadership that sets her apart.

“Her game knowledge for a senior in high school is so much more advanced than most kids you’ll come across,” said Kline. “She really reads what’s going on with other teams and becomes kind of a coach in the pool. She’s proven to the girls, over and over, that she knows what’s going on. And they trust her.”

Stender said that the Mustangs never really felt the pressure of having to defend their title, even though anything less would leave a mark on the season.

“The real pressure was dealing with things outside the pool,” said Stender.

Things like schoolwork, boyfriends, and getting to the team bus on time?

“Exactly,” said Stender. “Hey, we’re high school girls, right?”

This story was originally published January 20, 2015 at 5:58 PM with the headline "All-District water polo: Oakdale’s Stender MVP for third straight season."