It’s scary to think that Maggie Steffens still hasn’t peaked.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist returned to Stanford after taking a year off to train for the 2016 Rio Games and has reinfused the top-ranked women’s water polo team with not only her tireless work ethic, but an unrelenting drive to improve.

“Something that makes Stanford such a humbling place is that it doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past, it doesn’t really matter what you’re going to do in the future, but it matters what you’re doing right now to be better,” Steffens said. “That’s something I’m really focusing in, whether it’s in academics, whether it’s in the pool, whether it’s as a person, as a friend, how can I be better than I was yesterday so that I’m a better person, a better teammate, a better scholar tomorrow?”

The 23-year-old is not the only Olympian on the roster, with freshman Makenzie Fischer deferring enrollment for a year to pursue her own dream of a gold medal.

“To see them among the best in the world and come back and still be wanting to strive to be better, even if it’s the smallest increments, it’s really humbling,” Stanford senior Jamie Neushul said.

“They exude that confidence, but Maggie is also a sensational leader,” Stanford coach John Tanner said. “And having been to the Olympics, then here for three years, and then another year off to train to serve as captain of the Olympic team and go win another gold medal, she’s able to draw on so many experiences.”

This season the focus is on reclaiming the national title, after the Cardinal surrendered a goal with 6 seconds left to finish as the NCAA runner-up last year.

“It’s not necessarily about the talent or about necessarily the experience, but it’s about how hard you work and how much you’re willing to put in for the unity of the team,” Steffens said. “This is just the beginning and we have a lot to work on, a lot to learn. And I’m excited to put the pieces together and see what happens throughout the season.”

The eight-team Stanford Invitational this weekend should provide a better glimpse into what the team needs to fine tune than did the first three games of the season — lopsided 17-1, 21-2 and 19-5 triumphs over a trio of opponents ranked in the top 20.

The Cardinal (3-0) hosts No. 20 Loyola Marymount and No. 8 Hawaii on Saturday, then No. 6 Irvine on Sunday.

“It will be a lot of great shooting and big challenges for us, just playing LMU, Hawaii and Irvine in our bracket,” Tanner said.

A fourth game against a to-be-determined adversary will come from the opposite bracket, which features No. 3 Cal and its own trio of Olympians. The Bears must get through No. 7 Michigan, No. 16 San Jose State and No. 18 UC Davis.

The hope is for an electrifying atmosphere, even if it is Super Bowl weekend.

“I’ve played in the most incredible places, and there’s something really special about playing at Avery Aquatic Center,” Steffens said. “Whether you wear the Stanford cap or not, I think most water polo players feel very special when they hit the water in Avery.”

Any challengers will find it tough to score on the Cardinal.

Senior goalkeeper Gabby Stone is back after also taking a year off to train for the Olympics, but she didn’t make the final cut. In her absence, Stanford turned to redshirt junior Julia Hermann, who has split time between the pipes so far this season.

And don’t discount freshman Emalie Eicherberger, least of all at practices.

“It makes for really competitive workouts,” Tanner said. “It challenges our shooters, and you could see them even hesitating on some shots because they can’t get away with much in practice.”

Sometimes the shots don’t even make it to the goalkeeper.

“Scoring goals might look cool and it puts a number up on the board,” said Steffens, who found the back of the cage six times in Sunday’s rout of Long Beach State. “But getting a stop, getting a block, getting a steal, working together on defense is really what gets the W.”

Then again, who can keep up with Stanford?

Eleven players are averaging at least one goal a game, with Steffens and Neushul paving the way with nine and eight goals, respectively.

It’s to be expected from two seniors with a strong bond, considering older sisters Jessica Steffens and Kiley Neushul also came through the program.

“I would say there is a lot of special blood between the Neushul and Steffens family, no matter who is in the pool,” Steffens said.

“She’s like another sister to me,” Neushul said. “We can read each other’s minds. It’s really fun.”

The hope is to be playing May 14 in the NCAA final at Indianapolis — but that’s the future, while the Olympics is the past.

Instead, the focus is on getting better now, especially for the seniors who seek to cap their careers with another national title.

“I feel like a freshman,” said Neushul, with a laugh. “I don’t like to think about it. Coming close to the end, it’s sad. It’s been a lot of fun.”