By Keila McCabe’20
The girls’ water polo team finished their league season undefeated with a final 21-3 win against Alemany on Feb 9. The group started with many new players and an eagerness to win and grow. The team had been in division two but this year was dropped down to division three. However, this did not tarnish any of their hopes for playing this season. They started playoffs with a 13-6 win against Los Altos on Feb. 15.
They faced Righetti HS in their second playoff game and sadly lost 10-6. Although they ended their season with a loss instead of a CIF ring, girls said they look forward to next year and getting even better.
Field player Caroline Sturgeon ‘20 spoke about their long run but unfortunate loss in the second round of playoffs.
“We had been doing really well for a long time, and it was disappointing that we lost, but we were playing three or four games a week, practicing every day, lifting and we put in a lot of hard work. We just got tired by the end,” Sturgeon said.
The team began its season strong with some big wins against tough teams and continued on to dominate their league until the end. Prior to playoffs the squad finished with a 5-0 undefeated league. Some of their wins included matches against Marlborough, where they won 18-7 and Marymount, 14-2. However, the team had a couple of losses in tournament play and other games that were not in league.
New bonds and strong relationships formed between the girls and their coaches and their teamwork was evident in the pool during games. According to field player Namlhun Jachung ‘20, the upperclassmen, who guided them through the season, felt like older sisters. The great friendships formed in the squad were just one of the factors that contributed to their success.
Starter and center defender, Meera Burghart ‘20 talked about the team and more importantly the team’s mentality about competition.
“One of our team goals was to keep the culture of the game. When we lose, we try not to think about what we have lost. We think about what we could have done better. That way we aren’t constantly basing our judgement on the results of whether we won or lost,” Burghart said.
With the focus of improvement on the players’ minds the team said they were excited to compete in playoffs and hopefully bring home a CIF ring. On their momentous winning streak the girls headed into playoffs on Feb. 15.
“We ended the season with a great little run, a tournament, and we won the championship 21-3. We are hoping to continue to play better and put ourselves in a position to win a CIF championship,” program head and head coach Brian Flacks said.
Although they didn’t achieve their CIF goals, this season was filled with wins and provides the lowerclassmen hope for the future. Players said they have gotten a sense of how they work together and they are excited for the next year.
