Varsity Girls Water Polo fell 10-6 to Homestead High School on Thursday, Sept. 18. HHS started strong, with a 3-0 lead by the end of the first quarter, and extended its momentum with a 7-1 advantage by halftime. However, MVHS responded after the break, outscoring HHS 5-3 in the second half to cut into HHS’s lead by the end of the game.
Captains Ria Sethi and Nandini Karthik, who play goalie and field player respectively, attributed the stronger second half showing to improved defense, as the team held HHS to just three goals after losing seven in the first half. According to Karthik, the Matadors stuck to their assigned players more closely and worked faster to keep up with the ball.
“Sometimes when the offense gets close to me, a lot of the team feels the opposing team is going to score and that they shouldn’t help out with defense,” Sethi said. “Our coach and team reinforced that making sure they’re out there pressuring the offense is really important, and that helped make sure goals weren’t being shot.”
However, Varsity Head Coach William Lieu believes the team must continue to develop its communication. While Sethi and Karthik note that communication improved during the second half, they agree that it is an ongoing priority for the team moving forward.
“I will always remind them they need to communicate with each other,” Lieu said. “Communication has always been the hardest thing for any team, and sometimes we’re so lost in staring at where the ball is going to go that we forget to communicate with our team. When you’re in the pool, there are no feelings, so when you’re yelling, it’s not out of hate or spite but to communicate.”
While communication remains a challenge, the team has seen growth in other areas, particularly in the newer players. Sethi says the new players’ increased confidence and willingness to take risks in the pool improved the team’s performance.
Coming off a narrow 5-4 loss the Tuesday before, Sethi notes the team entered Thursday’s game somewhat demotivated. However, both Sethi and Karthik believe that the Matadors surpassed their expectations against HHS with their second-half performance, setting a positive tone for the rest of the season.
“This game is a representation of the rest of the season,” Karthik said. “In the second half, we did a lot better. I think that going forward, that’s how it’s going to be — we’ll go a lot harder on defense and do a lot better on communication.”
