Lightning round

Charger girls’ water polo team favorites to win 13th straight league title




SPLASH ZONE—Westlake High girls’ water polo sophomore driver Giselle Lewis defends during practice earlier this week. Lewis led the Warriors in goals scored last season as a freshman.

SPLASH ZONE—Westlake High girls’ water polo sophomore driver Giselle Lewis defends during practice earlier this week. Lewis led the Warriors in goals scored last season as a freshman.

Agoura High’s girls’ water polo team has dominated the Marmonte League year after year.

The Chargers are favored to capture another league title.

Agoura’s secured 12 straight Marmonte crowns. Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks and Westlake shared second place the past two seasons. Expectations are high for an improving Oaks Christian squad.

Calabasas is looking to turn things around in the Coastal Canyon League.

AGOURA CHARGERS

The Chargers started this season with a perfect 5-0 record.

Agoura claimed the Mistletoe Tournament title earlier this month. The Chargers return to the pool Dec. 20 at Santa Barbara.

“This team plays really well together,” head coach Jason Rosenthal said. “So far they’re gelling really well.”

Seniors Lexi Rond, a hole set, Alyssa Sadoff, a 2-meter defender, and Emma Pfister, a returning starting goalie, lead the Chargers.

“Having another year under her belt is really going to help her,” the coach said of Pfister. “Having someone you know who’s going to block the ball really helps the girls play good defense.”

Kaitlin Gardhouse is a standout junior utility.

“She’s probably our best all-around player,” Rosenthal said of Gardhouse. “She does a lot of the little things that go unnoticed.”

Maddie Demattia, a freshman driver, is a rookie to watch.

“Our league is going to be really interesting,” Rosenthal said. “After us, all the other teams are pretty much the same. I think they’ll end up beating each other for second place. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a four-way tie for second place.”

WESTLAKE WARRIORS

Westlake’s talented freshman class of last season is back and better than ever.

Sophomores Giselle Lewis, a driver and the team’s top returning scorer, Emma Adams and Fiona Watkins have earned spots in first-year head coach Mike Arteaga’s starting lineup.

Seniors Julie Lang, Tallulah Lund-Sidi and Leah Sachs show the youngsters how it’s done in the pool.

“They’re meshing really well, making good passes to each other and communicating in and out of the water,” Arteaga said. “We have a lot of girls that are willing to work really hard.”

Rayne Gifford, a senior, starts at goalie.

“I’m putting a lot of emphasis on defense this year without Carson (Horvatich) in our goal,” Arteaga said.

Westlake (6-2 overall) narrowly missed the playoffs on tiebreakers last year despite earning a share of second place in the league standings.

The Warriors want to separate themselves from the pack.

“I’m excited to see how the Marmonte League plays out,” the coach said. “I think it’s going to be good competition for that second spot.”

OAKS CHRISTIAN LIONS

Jack Kocur guided the Oaks Christian boys’ water polo team to its first section championship in the fall.

Kocur is now determined to help the girls’ team find success in the pool in his third year at the helm.

“We’re getting better each year,” the coach said. “That’s all we can ask for.”

The Lions started the season 5-2 overall, including a four-game win streak heading into its next game at 3:15 p.m. Dec. 17 at Foothill Tech.

“The girls are really surprising this year,” Kocur said.

Three seniors lead Oaks Christian. Playmakers Ariana Koch and Hailey Benton run the offense. Sarah Lambert dominates defensively at hole set.

Junior drivers Bryn Baxter, Kathleen Ryan and Juliana Gomez bolster the starting lineup.

Sophi Salstrom, a sophomore who started playing goalie last season, has improved in the cage.

The Lions emphasize defense at practice.

“If we can put some pressure on the ball handlers, their primary players, I feel like we have a chance to compete for a top three spot (in league) to hopefully get into playoffs,” Kocur said.

CALABASAS COYOTES

The Coyotes are in the hunt for some Coastal Canyon League victories.

Second-year head coach Greg Poppen said his team has improved since its winless run through league last winter.

“I’m really optimistic about the season,” Poppen said. “There’s a definite desire to win this season.”

Calabasas started the season 5-4, including a close loss to Notre Dame.

Calabasas plays host to Louisville on Jan. 5. The Coyotes open league play at 3:15 p.m. Jan. 9 at Moorpark.

Twin sisters Natalie and Erica Muehring, both senior 2-meter defenders, welcomed younger sibling Juliet Muehring, a freshman, to the varsity lineup.

Tori Wyshak, a junior driver, is a skillful returner with a solid outside shot.

Freshman Shahd Zaaza is a talented newcomer.

Juniors Michelle Piesman and Lily Hattar compete for minutes at goalie.

“I feel 100 percent strong that we’ll definitely win some league games,” Poppen said. “I could picture us being one of the top two.

“After seeing how we played against Notre Dame this early in the season, I can see us, by the end of the season, being able to give Royal a strong game.”

NEWBURY PARK PANTHERS

The Panthers continue to improve.

“Our goal is to get better every game,” said Dave Gleisberg, the team’s 10th-year head coach. “We want to be better than we are right now at the end of the year.”

Newbury Park (5-2) wasted no time getting on the same page in the pool.

Holly Maine, a junior driver, is the Black Cat Attack’s most lethal scorer. She’s also a tenacious defender.

“She’s active in every play,” the coach said of Maine. “She means a lot to us in the whole scheme of things.”

Sophomores Maddy Schwartz, a point, and Bailey Stubblefield, a center, boost the offense.

Paige Malan, a senior driver, creates opportunities for teammates.

“We’re not going to be one- or two- dimensional in our offense,” Gleisberg said. “Everyone’s going to be a threat in every position at any time.”

The Panthers play host to Pacifica at 3:15 p.m. today. Newbury Park opens league play against Agoura on Jan. 5 at home.

THOUSAND OAKS LANCERS

Kacey Creek has taken over the program at Thousand Oaks.

The first-year head coach was impressed with the talent on her roster.

“We have a ton of potential,” Creek said.

Junior goalie Kailey Brown is a special player, the coach said.

“She’s, in my opinion, the best goalie in the league, by far,” Creek said. “She’ll come out and steal the ball from just about anyone. Not a lot of goalies are quite as daring as she is to do that.”

Joy Hong, a senior driver, powers the offense. Brianna Erickson, a junior, is a scrappy driver.

Reiley Watson, a senior center, is an offensive playmaker.

Creek said she believes Thousand Oaks has the talent to shake up the league standings.

“It’s going to come down to teamwork with everyone stepping up in their individual roles,” Creek said. “Our toughest competition is going to be Agoura. I’m hoping for first place. I think it’s attainable.”

The Lancers (4-2 at press time) faced league foes during the Mistletoe Tournament at Newbury Park. Thousand Oaks beat Newbury Park and lost to Westlake in overtime. The team travels to face Ventura today on the road.


 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *