Floating in middle of the pack
GIRLS WATERPOLO The team is currently third in the Palomares League with a record of 2-2.
Junior Priscilla Franchino hones her shooting skills during a practice.
January 24, 2018
Diamond Bar High School’s girls water polo team has been off to a solid start despite facing schools in a new division. The team is 2-2 in league and has an overall record of 14-5.
Having won against teams that dominated the girls just a couple years ago, the Lady Brahmas have showcased their improvement through each match. The team has won two league games thus far, defeating Ayala, 17-12, and Glendora, 14-8.
In addition, amongst the numerous games they’ve held, the girls beat The Webb Schools, Hillcrest and Montebello moving one step closer toward the CIF Playoffs.
“It is such a great and amazing feeling knowing that we have the potential to beat difficult teams,” senior Hannah Murray said. “All our hard work, strenuous practice and dedication has got us where we are, which is why we’re continuing to win and be successful this season.”
Although the girls have a winning record, they were unable to defeat long time rivals, Bonita, losing 14-13 in their second league game. Senior Phoebe Tsui stated that the girls’ defense proved to be their weakness, as they were unable to defend their goal against Bonita’s ace player.
However, compared to their previous season where they lost to Bonita by an average of ten points, the Lady Brahmas have shown much development in their skills.
“After the game, we began practicing our defense a lot more,” Tsui said. “We learned that teams will double team us a lot so we need to step up and put shots away.”
At the recent Diamond Bar tournament, the Lady Brahmas finished with a record of 4-2, easily winning the four games.
Unfortunately, having lost two games against Corona and Milikan, the girls finished fifth in the tournament.
In preparation for their upcoming games against teams such as Claremont, the girls have been working on refining their individual skills and working on their weaknesses.
The Lady Brahmas have been going over game film to learn what the team and each player needs to improve on.
In addition, recent practices have included increased amounts of swimming to improve stamina and speed with the intention of preparing the team for a spot in CIF.
“Since we’ve been playing a lot of Division 5 teams, I think it definitely gives us a feel for what we’re going up against if we make it to playoffs,” senior Monique Yim said.
Tomorrow, the girls will be against Glendora, and next Tuesday, they will compete in a match against Ayala.
“I think I can speak for everyone when I say we hunger for another shot at CIF,” Murray said. “Our passion for this sport shows through every second of the game which is why we execute [the games] so well.”
