Brenda Villa
Encyclopedia
Brenda Villa (born April 18, 1980, in Los Angeles, California
) is an American world-class water polo
player for the US National and Olympic teams.
Villa started swimming with a club team, Commerce Aquatics, at the age of six, and followed her brother into water polo at eight years old. She made the girls Junior Olympic Team while in high school. At Bell Gardens High School
, Villa played with the boys' water polo team because her school did not have a girls' team, and went on to become a 4-time 1st team All-League, 4-time 1st team All-C.I.F. and 4-time All-American.
Villa came to Stanford in 1998 as the program’s most heralded recruit. Redshirted in 1999 and 2000 to train for the Olympics, she scored 69 goals her freshman year (2001) and was named the NCAA Women’s Water Polo Player of the Year. In the three seasons Villa played for Stanford University
, she scored 172 goals. In 2002 she led her Stanford team with 60 goals to win the NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship
; they had finished second the previous season, the first year the competition was held. Villa was awarded the 2002 Peter J. Cutino Award
as the top female college water polo player in the United States.
at 5'4", Villa has been a prolific scorer at the international level. She scored 10 goals for Team USA at the 2003 Pan American Games
, which qualified the team for the 2004 Summer Olympics
. As a 20-year-old, she led the US team with nine goals at the Sydney Olympics
, where the Americans took the silver medal
. She had a team-high 13 goals to lead the US to gold at the 2003 FINA Water Polo World Championship. In June 2004, Villa scored the first goal in overtime
, her third of the game, and another in a penalty shootout
, to propel the US team past Hungary and win the gold medal at the Women's Water Polo World League Super Finals. She was the US women's team top scorer with 7 goals in 5 games at the 2004 Athens Olympics
, earning a bronze medal. Villa was team captain of the 2005 US national team coached by two-time Olympian Heather Moody
, winning a silver medal at the FINA World Championship in Montreal.
In 2005, Villa became assistant coach of the women's water polo team at Cerritos College
in Norwalk, California
. The Falcons ended the season with a 21-11 record, a new school record for most wins in a season. She is now playing with the international club team Orizzonte “Geymonat” Catania
(Italy).
In March 2007 Villa led the USA women's national water polo team in Melbourne, Australia, at the 2007 FINA World Water Polo Championships. Villa scored a total of 11 goals throughout the whole tournament helping team USA achieve first place naming them the 2007 FINA World Champions.
In the 2008 China Summer Olympic games, she and the American team lost 8-9 in the championship game
to the Netherlands and took home the silver medal.
for the 2009 FINA World Championships.
In 2010 she became the head coach at Castilleja High School for girls' water polo in Palo Alto, California
.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
) is an American world-class water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
player for the US National and Olympic teams.
Villa started swimming with a club team, Commerce Aquatics, at the age of six, and followed her brother into water polo at eight years old. She made the girls Junior Olympic Team while in high school. At Bell Gardens High School
Bell Gardens High School
Bell Gardens High School is a public high school in Bell Gardens, California, part of the Montebello Unified School District.-History:The campus was built in the 1930s and 1940s...
, Villa played with the boys' water polo team because her school did not have a girls' team, and went on to become a 4-time 1st team All-League, 4-time 1st team All-C.I.F. and 4-time All-American.
Villa came to Stanford in 1998 as the program’s most heralded recruit. Redshirted in 1999 and 2000 to train for the Olympics, she scored 69 goals her freshman year (2001) and was named the NCAA Women’s Water Polo Player of the Year. In the three seasons Villa played for Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, she scored 172 goals. In 2002 she led her Stanford team with 60 goals to win the NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship
NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship
The NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship has existed since the 2001 season. Three conferences have teams competing in women's water polo, the Collegiate Water Polo Association, the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference...
; they had finished second the previous season, the first year the competition was held. Villa was awarded the 2002 Peter J. Cutino Award
Peter J. Cutino Award
The Peter J. Cutino Award, named after former college water polo player and UC Berkeley coach Peter J. Cutino, is considered the most prestigious individual award in American collegiate water polo...
as the top female college water polo player in the United States.
Olympics and international
Villa has been on Team USA since 1998. Although the shortest player on the US national women's water polo teamUnited States women's national water polo team
The United States women's national water polo team represents the United States in international women's water polo competitions and friendly matches. It is one of the leading teams in the world since the late 1990s....
at 5'4", Villa has been a prolific scorer at the international level. She scored 10 goals for Team USA at the 2003 Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
, which qualified the team for the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. As a 20-year-old, she led the US team with nine goals at the Sydney Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, where the Americans took the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
. She had a team-high 13 goals to lead the US to gold at the 2003 FINA Water Polo World Championship. In June 2004, Villa scored the first goal in overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
, her third of the game, and another in a penalty shootout
Penalty shootout
The shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots in that a single player takes one shot on goal...
, to propel the US team past Hungary and win the gold medal at the Women's Water Polo World League Super Finals. She was the US women's team top scorer with 7 goals in 5 games at the 2004 Athens Olympics
Water polo at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Water polo at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place at the Olympic Aquatic Centre where women competed for only the second time in the event at the Summer Olympics....
, earning a bronze medal. Villa was team captain of the 2005 US national team coached by two-time Olympian Heather Moody
Heather Moody
Heather Moody is an American water polo player, who won a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics. She was team captain of the US Women's National Team that captured the bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, and the only member of the team not from California...
, winning a silver medal at the FINA World Championship in Montreal.
In 2005, Villa became assistant coach of the women's water polo team at Cerritos College
Cerritos College
Cerritos College is a public comprehensive community college founded in 1955 located in Norwalk, California. It was named after Rancho Los Cerritos, a ranch that served prominently in the region in the 19th century...
in Norwalk, California
Norwalk, California
Norwalk is a suburban city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 105,549 at the 2010 census, up from 103,298 at the 2000 census, making it the 58th most populous city in California and the 255th nationally....
. The Falcons ended the season with a 21-11 record, a new school record for most wins in a season. She is now playing with the international club team Orizzonte “Geymonat” Catania
Catania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
(Italy).
In March 2007 Villa led the USA women's national water polo team in Melbourne, Australia, at the 2007 FINA World Water Polo Championships. Villa scored a total of 11 goals throughout the whole tournament helping team USA achieve first place naming them the 2007 FINA World Champions.
In the 2008 China Summer Olympic games, she and the American team lost 8-9 in the championship game
Water polo at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament
The women's water polo tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was held from 11 August to 21 August at the Beijing's Ying Tung Pool....
to the Netherlands and took home the silver medal.
Career
In June 2009, Villa was named to the USA water polo women's senior national teamUnited States women's national water polo team
The United States women's national water polo team represents the United States in international women's water polo competitions and friendly matches. It is one of the leading teams in the world since the late 1990s....
for the 2009 FINA World Championships.
In 2010 she became the head coach at Castilleja High School for girls' water polo in Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
.
Personal
- Villa's parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico and she speaks fluent Spanish.
- A three-time All-American at Stanford, Villa graduated in 2003 with a degree in political science.
- Along with some of her teammates from the 2000 Olympic Team, Villa has a small tattoo of the Olympic rings, located on top of her right foot.
International competitions
- 1995 FINA Junior World Championships, 3rd place
- 1997 FINA Junior World Championships, 3rd place
- 1998 World Championships, Perth, Australia, 8th place
- 1998 Holiday Cup, Los Alamitos, California, 2nd place
- 1999 Holiday Cup, Los Alamitos, California, 3rd place
- 2000 Olympic Games, Sydney, Australia, 2nd place
- 2001 Holiday Cup, Los Alamitos, United States, 1st place
- 2001 FINA World Championships, Fukuoka, Japan, 4th place
- 2002 Holiday Cup, Palo Alto, United States, 1st place
- 2002 FINA World Cup, Perth, Australia, 2nd place
- 2003 FINA World Championships, Barcelona, Spain, 1st place
- 2003 Pan American Games, Dominican Republic, 1st place
- 2003 Holiday Cup, Los Alamitos, CA, 1st place
- 2004 FINA World League Series, Long Beach, CA, 1st place
- 2004 Holiday Cup, La Jolla, CA, 1st place
- 2004 Olympic Games, Athens, Greece, 3rd place
- 2005 FINA World League, 5th place
- 2005 FINA World Championships, Montreal, Canada, 2nd place
- 2006 FINA World League, Cosenza, Italy, 1st place
- 2006 FINA World Cup, Tianjin, China, 4th place
- 2006 Holiday Cup, Los Alamitos, CA, 1st place
- 2007 FINA World Championships, Melbourne, Australia, 1st place
- 2007 FINA World League Super Final, Montreal, Canada, 1st place
- 2007 Pan American Games, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1st place
- 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing, China, 2nd place
- 2009 FINA World Championships, Rome, Italy, 1st place
External links
- Website for Brenda Villa's marketing agent Arluck Promotions
- Stanford bio
- Brenda Villa's U.S. Olympic team bio
- USA Today bio