By Kimberly Yamaguchi

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In past years, the MHS girls water polo team’s success had been enabled by the overwhelming amount of experienced players. This year, however, the newcomers outnumber the experienced. Despite that this is a rebuilding year, the team has maintained a 6-1 winning score.

“Since we lost four seniors last year, I feel in the beginning of this season the team needed to rebuild chemistry with each other in and out of the field,” explained assistant coach and Alumna Noelle Duhay, “It’s definitely a rebuilding season. Every year we have more girls coming to try out the sport. As the years go by there’s a lot more newcomers than experienced players on the team, but all newcomers so far have been great adapting to the sport.”

The challenge of building the team back up brought tougher practices. “Practices are very hard (Head coach Gregg Wong) makes us do dry land before practice this year and now we have leg sets. And we make sure we play defense hard, as if it was a real game scenario,” explained returning starting player Junior Shelby Parker.

Even with the extra hours in and out of the pool some of the more experienced players continue to notice improvements that need to be made. “(Our) competition would be Kahuku (High School). And playing as a team we need to get better at passing and awareness of time and players that are open for a pass on offense and on defense what player is a threat and open,” said first year starting player Junior Chanel Long.

Though the team has had their ups and downs, but for the most part have been pushing themselves to their best. “The game against Kaiser was definitely the game to watch, so far. Even though the score, 9-3 win, doesn’t say much, they were definitely ones to focus on since they hold the OIA title in swimming. Our girls really showed what they’re capable of as individuals, most importantly as a team,” Duhay added.

The girls all noticed that this year they have grown closer than before. “It’s great; some things that make it great are that the team is basically family and we all love spending time together and everyday we push each other harder to achieve more at polo practice,” said Parker. This new closeness has helped them achieve excellence in and out of the water.

Rebuilding hasn’t changed any of the goals the team has set. “My main goal is to beat Kahuku (High School), but I guess I could say, to make it to states and go as far as we possibly can and never give up.”

Banding together more than ever this year, the team hopes to win OIA’s and make it to states.