After winning one game during last Saturday’s tournament, the women’s water polo team hopes to repeat their success for the next tournament tomorrow and Saturday.
“I’m pretty sure we’ll pull a win and the team will come together and do its best,” Lorna Baker, 18, said.
After the Mt. SAC tournament tomorrow and Saturday, the team will play Long Beach on Wednesday.
“I think we are getting experience and we look forward to another tournament,” Nelly Lopez Sierra said.
Sierra, who is new to the team, said that winning one game in the EC tournament was a good experience.
“I think we’ll be a little bit better,” Sierra said.
The team played the Rio Hondo Road Runners yesterday and were defeated, 21-10. The loss did not seem to dampen the team’s spirit.
“Kelly Suk played great today,” coach Monica Lizarraga-Papke said. “She is really stepping up and showing good maturity and team leadership.”
After forfeiting its first game, the team continued its rough start when it lost its second game last Wednesday to Chaffey, 21-2.
Despite the loss, Baker was able to enjoy the game and learn from it.
“I think it was very exciting because we came into our first game not knowing what to expect,” Baker said.
The tournament last Saturday was a different story. The team won the first game; however it also lost one.
“We don’t have enough experience, but we try to do our best,” Sierra said.
The team won its first game of the tournament against L.A.Trade Tech, 19-17, and lost the second game to Citrus, 15-2.
Baker was happy that the team won a game and that they got to play with a team that had similar skills.
“They were at our level and we could compete with them,” Baker said.
After beating L.A Trade Tech, Baker was optimistic because it was the first win of the season.
“We’re finally going somewhere,” Baker said.
As for the game with Citrus, a team that is “more advanced than us,” Baker said, “We learned and we got experience from it.”
Getting experience is what the players need to work together.
“We’re coming together more as a team,” Elisa Finan said.
Despite her confidence about the tournament tomorrow and Saturday, Baker cannot help getting nervous.
“I’m kind of nervous,” Baker said. “I don’t know what to expect from the teams.”