Poly’s girls water polo team is making a splash. While at the time of publishing, their overall record sits at 6-6 and the Panthers are ranked first in the Prep League with an unblemished 6-0 standing. A notable recent victory was a commanding 15-5 win against Westridge on Thursday, Jan. 23, a defining game that showcased their growth.
Last season, Poly defeated Westridge by three goals. After a whole year of off-season training, however, the Panthers defeated Westridge by ten striking goals, demonstrating not only their immense hard work out of games, but also their ability to execute.
“I think we’ve improved a lot since our first game against Westridge,” junior Miki Chan, an attacker, said. “I think beating them by so much more the second time shows how we’re growing to work in tandem with each other. Many of us don’t play out of school, so we still need to work on many of the techniques, but we’re getting a lot better by working hard during practices.”
The improved teamwork isn’t the only factor behind the Panthers’ success. The team’s defense has become one of their defining strengths this season.
“Our defense has been really strong this year, and we’ve gotten a lot better at defending drives and communicating in the pool,” said junior Georgie Collister, Poly’s standout keeper.
Collister and their teammates credit their progress to their rigorous practices and openness to learning. They consistently work on refining their individual techniques while building a more cohesive team dynamic. Assistant coach Ryan Rodriguez also believes this approach sets Poly apart.
“Poly athletes are different from other athletes because of their ability to learn and be a student,” Rodriguez said. “Their ‘coachability’ is the key component in their development and success.”
The team’s understanding of structured play and their conditioning to stay in shape are other key strengths that have propelled their performance. At the same time, the coaching staff emphasizes areas for growth, such as taking more initiative and attacking in open spaces during games.
“Those are areas we’re constantly working on,” Rodriguez added. “As they gain more confidence in those situations, I think we’ll see even greater results.”
With their strong league standing, the Panthers are eyeing a deep run in CIF playoffs. Their undefeated league record puts them in a promising position to win the Prep League title, and their consistent improvement suggests they have the potential to go far during the postseason.
As their discipline translates into executing plays, Poly’s girls water polo team is poised to build on their momentum for a strong finish to the season.