According to Varsity Head Coach Audra Bloom, UC High’s Water Polo Team meets every weekday from 3:45 to 6:00 p.m. with occasional Saturday practices at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Canyonview Pool. The team also participates in tournaments throughout the year to test their skills.

   “I am so excited to start my first year as head coach. I believe I have a lot of valuable knowledge I can pass on to anyone who is interested in excelling in this sport. I want to help everyone achieve their maximum potential and have the same passion that I have,” said Bloom. “I’ve been involved with swim teams since I was young. From that, my mom found a flyer for water polo. I tried it out the summer before my freshman year and fell in love with the sport. I played that summer, four years of high school and four years of collegiate water polo at UCSD,” said Bloom.

   The UC High girls water polo players have a good team this year, according to the players. They know that if they can plan out what they are going to do for the season and execute everything correctly that they can succeed. “This is a new year, but I have been a high school water polo referee for over 10 years and have seen the potential that UC brings to the table year after year. I am excited to unlock that potential,” said Bloom.

   “Last year’s season went okay. We got second in league and we did alright in CIFs,” said Left Driver Jacquelyn Sanders. “I think a team goal would be to make it back to CIFs,” Sanders added.  “I hope to take our varsity girls to quarterfinals of CIF. For future years, I hope to take the team into the final rounds of CIF and make UC High a powerhouse in girls water polo,” said Bloom.

   The sport is very similar to other sports in the sense that it requires a lot of teamwork, set plays and many other different team-related abilities. “I play the 21 side, which is the left side of the pool. Water polo is kind of like basketball,” said Steinhauer.

  Steinhauer said that the team is a great group of girls, and all of them are outgoing and caring, which will allow them to grow together throughout the duration of the season.

   Sanders said, “I’ve been playing water polo since I was six, so altogether, I’ve been playing about 11 years. My dad was a water polo coach so he taught me how to swim and play.”

   “My brother played in high school, and so when he started playing club water polo, so did I,” said Left Wing Clara Steinhauer.“I think this sport is important because it requires a variety of different skills and teaches valuable traits like discipline, dedication, fitness, as well as mental and physical toughness… and it’s really fun,” said Bloom.