Varsity Girls Water Polo won 8-6 against Cupertino High School on its senior night on Thursday, Oct. 19. MVHS gained the initial momentum, scoring two goals in the first quarter. However, throughout the second and third quarter, CHS picked up its offense and ultimately evened the score 4-4 by end of the third quarter.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, CHS scored another goal, taking the lead for the majority of the fourth quarter. With 30 seconds left in the game, sophomore and goalie Riya Sethi brought the ball down the pool following CHS’s unsuccessful goal attempt. With time pressure, she shot the ball from halfway across the pool and scored, tying the game by the end of the regulation period and giving the team an opportunity to win the game.
That goal was a turning point as the game went into overtime. Momentum shifted back to MVHS, allowing them to outscore CHS by two points to secure the win. Senior and captain Darya Pereverzeva believes the team’s offensive improvements and commitment to the game were driving forces in its win.
“I’m really happy because I felt like we actually demonstrated our aggression in this game and our good defense,” Pereverzeva said. “We finally provided a lot of offense, and even though we had to go into overtime, it showed that we were very committed to winning.”
Reflecting on MVHS’ loss to CHS in its first game of the season, Sethi notes how the win is representative of the team’s growth throughout the season.
“We did really good [compared] to our first game against Cupertino, and it was a really good fight for all of us,” Sethi said. “All of us wanted to win, not [just] because it was senior night, but also because we wanted to see our progress from the beginning of the season.”
Before the game, the team held a ceremony to celebrate the seniors’ final home game, with coaches Himani Kukreja and Shravya Guda presenting flowers to the team’s three seniors. Afterwards, the festivities continued, including food, photos and individual speeches given by their teammates. The night proved to be an emotional one for Pereverzeva as this game marked the final chapter of her journey with the team.
“I’m borderline crying,” Pereverzeva said. “I really love this team. I love the girls on the team and I love the opportunities that I’ve gotten from them. I’m really gonna miss them.”
Senior and captain Courtney Yuen echoes Pereverzeva’s sentiment. As she ends her MVHS water polo career, she looks back upon her two years on the team with fondness.
“I’ve built so many deep friendships with a lot of people [on the team],” Yuen said. “It’s become my family.”
