With a current overall record of 2-0, the Girls Varsity Water Polo team made a big splash into the preseason with high hopes to stay undefeated and go as far as possible in C.I.F.
To start off their season, the team defeated the Pasadena Bulldogs 19-9 on Dec. 2. The Lady Rams’ first game together allowed them to discover how each player performs outside of practice.
“Some of our players really stepped up, especially since it was the first time playing a varsity game for some of them,” Co-Captain Senior Kyrsten Proctor said. “They were just really improving throughout the game and watching their skill was really exciting for me.”
The team went on to dominate Arcadia, beating the Apaches by a score of 18-5 on Dec. 4. The Lady Rams started the game a bit shakily, but their increased number of steals and better counter-attacks led to more goals by the second quarter.
The team credits their victories to their close bond, which translates to effective communication in the pool. They also have many agile swimmers, powerful shooters and quick thinkers who together form a strong unit to be reckoned with during games.
Each player’s individual abilities have strengthened largely due to the team’s training regime. Coach Oscar Dorado resumed training off-season this year in order to improve last year’s overall record of 6-2. They have increased their endurance and speed by swimming laps as part of their conditioning workouts. They also continue to do dry-land exercises, including push-ups, squats, lunges and running.
“All of the extra conditioning and training has really helped us prepare to play our best,” Co-Captain Sophomore Gabriella Sicat said. “We still have a lot to learn, but it helps now that we are all in better shape.”
Despite the fact that the team has six new players this year, the team’s communication has only improved. The returning players are confident that the new members will benefit the team with their knowledge and experience.
“I think they are all really going to help this team because they are all eager and ambitious and are putting a lot of effort into the team,” Proctor said. “Lots of them have spent a lot of their time working hard to improve their skills by joining club water polo teams and training hard.”
Although their so far undefeated record brings pressure to the team to continue winning, their main focus is to keep track of the way they play the sport.
“We don’t usually think of winning or losing against an opponent; we focus on how we are going to play and improve,” Sicat said. “Sometimes knowing how the opponent plays will help us, but we don’t want to focus on that too much and lose sight of what we are here to do, which is play our game.”
The Lady Rams have three more preseason games and will go head to head against the South Pasadena Tigers on Jan. 13 to start Rio Hondo League play.