The girls water polo team played its first game against Fremont High School on Tuesday, Sept. 17. Despite strong defense, however, the Lady Mats could not stop FHS’ heavy offense with a final score of 6-9.
In the first period, “Everyone was really nervous in the beginning but then everyone got their jitters out and we played well” senior co-caption Merin Palmer said.
However, the Lady Mats stepped up their game during the second and third periods as they adjusted to their opponents’ aggressive offense and learned to work together. Unfortunately, after inaccurate passes and missed shots throughout the game, the Lady Mats were unable to catch up.
Nevertheless, the girls feel satisfied.
“I actually think even though we lost, it was a really good game,” Palmer said. “We worked really hard and played together as a team.”
Certain players were especially important to the Lady Mats’ effort because of their skills and their contribution to the team’s strategy. Goalie junior Iraa Guleria defended against numerous three- and five-meter shots, putting up a strong defense against FHS. Also, junior Kylie Constant, one of the team’s strongest shooters, scored a goal by “walking it in” — feinting a shot while swimming toward the goal in the second period.
However, even with strong players, the Lady Mats did not play a flawless game. The girls missed many points from failed “off-the-water shots” — passes from the two-meter player to the driver. Instead of passing the ball, the girls often shot the ball in front of the goal from a bad position, which resulted in many failed shots.
“We definitely need to work on safe passes,” Palmer said. “I feel like we had some shots at the goal that didn’t go in.”
Despite their mistakes, the girls remain optimistic, especially about their leadership. So far, the captains have managed to reduce the tension between players from last year and to improve the Lady Mats’ teamwork through constant encouragement.
“I think this year, we’ve got good leadership,” sophomore Monica Ravichandran said. “They can lead the team pretty strong [and] hopefully [help the team make it] to CCS.”
Even though the girls lost their first game, they still hope for a successful season.
“We played very well,” Constant said. “I think we can only get better from here.”