The UHS Girls Water Polo team competed in their first game of the new year, winning against Aliso Niguel High School on January 5th, 2022. This win marked the 8th win of this season for the team, as well as their first win in 2022. The final score of the game was 11-5. 

Because the team had just returned from a brief hiatus of two weeks, players were both excited and worried about their game. 

“Considering we were coming off of a two week break without any games, we were in shape and ready to win,” freshman Halle Ewing said. “We had practice throughout break and it was great to see our hard work pay off.

Following their win against Aliso Niguel and a strong record prior, the team felt assured and optimistic about their performance as a team.

“The day prior during practice, we had done a lot of swimming so I was feeling very tired leading up to the game,” junior Caitlyn Liao said. “However, we had beaten this team previously so I was confident that we would be fine.”

The team started the game off with a strong performance both offensively and defensively. By the time the game reached halftime, the team had maintained a large lead, making the second half of the game smooth for UHS.

“We started the game off strong and maintained the lead the entire time by a decent margin, which made it less stressful and more fun!” Liao said.

Coming back from the hybrid schedule of last year, the team said goodbye to senior players, but welcomed fresh faces such as Ewing, who made the Varsity team in just her freshman year. 

“Last year, we largely relied on one player for the majority of our offense, but the rest of the starting team has stepped up a lot more this year to contribute, which makes us a much stronger team overall!” Liao said. 

Following the successes of the boys water polo team this season, the girls team hopes to follow their footsteps and win CIF.

“Our team’s current record is 12-3 and we’re hoping we can get first or near first in the league this year,” Ewing said. “We’re hoping to make it to CIF and go as far as possible!” 

After their win against Aliso Niguel, the girls water polo team won their next game against Beckham High with a final score of 9-8. 

“Uni’s water polo team is filled with wonderful, talented players that truly are fascinating to watch,” Ewing said. “We have a few more home games before the end of the season and it would be really great if more people came to support.”