As the girls water polo season is approaching, both former and new players are looking forward to taking on their competitors in the pool. With Varsity Head Coach Jackson Ziegler preparing to lead the team to victory, the overall excitement for the upcoming season is at an all time high.

   “Our returning players are a tight-knit group, so I’m excited to be able to coach them again as a unit. Teamwork and camaraderie are a great help in any sport, and it will be fun to see them in action again,” said Ziegler.

Junior Elena Johnson, who has been on the UC High Girls Water Polo Varsity Team since her freshman year, shared her goals for the new season. “Some of my goals this season are to work on creating opportunities with the team to score on goal, improve our five on six play, communicate more with the team during games, and to get better at anticipating the opponent’s moves,” she said.

   Johnson also mentioned that last season the team was mostly made up of seniors, so due to the fact that they have graduated, the team will have to persevere and play without them. “Most of our varsity last year were seniors and now that they are gone, I’m looking forward to seeing how our new team will work and play together this season. We also moved up to division two this season, so I am excited to play a lot of very challenging games,” said Johnson.

   Many people who have participated in the sport have also spoken about how great the team chemistry is and how welcoming both the coach and former players make you feel when joining. “Team chemistry is great. Everyone on the team gets along super well and many of us are close friends. The seniors and juniors when I was an underclassmen did a great job welcoming the newcomers which has set a good tone for us continuing to be a very welcoming team of all people,” said Johnson.

   Junior Aya Bonifacic, who has been playing water polo since her freshman year, also shared similar thoughts. “Everyone gets along very well. We all work together during games and practices are really fun,” said Bonifacic.

  Not only is the group dynamic a notable aspect of the team, but the excitement during games and practices is a valuable factor as well. “The atmosphere during games and practices are very different. During games, we are much more serious and don’t goof off as much as we would in practices,” said Bonifacic.

   Overall, with leadership from veterans on the team, to perseverance from newer players, the girls water polo season is looking bright.