Girls water polo, preseason look!

The Estancia High Schools water polo team is making its way into a new season with excitement and with goals of going back to CIF and going further than ever before. With a total of 15 players including six seniors with 3 of them being team captains, the team is prepared to make this the best season yet. 

The water polo team coach Olivia shares that the team has changed a lot since last  year. After 6 seniors graduated last year, the team was pretty small until they gained 3 new freshmen to the team who have fit in really well to the team. “We have a pretty even variety of grades,” she shares.

Senior Captain Veronica Kehoe feels confident about the season because of the communication they have with each other. “We have good communication in the pool”, she said. Veronica plays set D, a middle defense position blocking shots and drives before they can get into the goal. Some of her favorite memories with the team include hanging out together after practice, joking around, and making life long friendships who she will miss once she graduates. 

Junior Cora Hunton is also very excited for the team's future. “We made CIF last year and this year we hope to get even further”, she said. Cora is also excited to see new players joining the team since she believes it is the best sport.

Cora originally joined the team because of her older brother who pressured her into joining the team in her freshman year but she is very grateful he did. Her favorite memories with the team include “trauma bonding” over a tough coach they had in the past, which was something that brought them closer together. 

The team follows important safety measures and takes them seriously. She makes sure everyone knows how to swim before letting them officially play. The team mainly plays at the pool on campus but if the pool is being repaired, they do passing drills on land. The team tells best together when they stay positive and hype each other up during practices and games. 

Even students outside the sport are excited. As Shane Smith mentions, “I hope they do good and make it to CIF” and plans to watch one of their games later in the season. 

Cora encourages other students to join as well saying, “If you want to get buff and have a good community and good friendships, you should join water polo.” With new players, strong friendships, and high goals, the girls water polo team is ready for a successful season.