After finishing second in the SCVAL De Anza League with an overall record of 20-7, the girls water polo team ended their season after losing their league tournament championship game against Los Gatos High School by a score of 2-6.
Reflecting on the season, senior and co-captain Mary Henderson said one of the team’s main strengths this season was defense.
“(Defense) is prevalent in all of our games but it was the star of the show for our last game,” Henderson said. “Everyone did a great job communicating, pressing hard, and helping each other when needed.”
Henderson also said one of the team’s most memorable moments was beating Los Gatos, the reigning league champs for nine consecutive years, at the beginning of the season.
“The atmosphere was electric and I could feel the support of my teammates both in and out of the pool,” Henderson said.
According to sophomore Scarlett Frick, the team has grown stronger throughout the season by building trust and collaborating.
“Because our roster is so young, it was natural that we were going to make mistakes,” Frick said. ”But over the season we were able to trust each other, especially on the defensive side, and hopefully be in a position to win league champs next year.”
Henderson also said when the team made its way to the CCS Open Division, there were mental challenges they had to overcome when preparing for the last game against Los Gatos.
“Coming in as the underdogs of the match had its advantages, but our weaknesses could’ve been capitalized if we showed fear,” Henderson said. “So my co-captain and I made sure to emphasize the fact that we needed to play with pride and have fun.”
Frick added that although the team anticipated a challenging match against Los Gatos, the team’s growth was evident.
“There was a level of pride that we all had in each other for just being able to play open division,” Frick said. “That trust just wasn’t as strong as when we started.”
According to Henderson, this has been the team’s most successful season in program history.
“It is our highest league finish in 15 years, the most wins in a season in 19 years, and the fewest losses in a season in 18 years,” Henderson said.
