Girls Water Polo Wins Second at State

Media by Annabelle Miller

Bri Allstun, senior, passes the ball to her teammate during a 3-on-3 drill. Districts for girls water polo started on May 9, and the state championship will be held on May 14. “We started out a little bumpy, but now I think we’re getting there, and we’re going to be ready for State,” Allstun said.

Girls water polo won second place in the State Tournament on May 14 after losing to Oakville. The team won state last year, and returning players said many changes were made to their team over the season. 

Meg Murphy, senior, has played water polo since her freshman year and was this year’s starting goalie. Two of the team’s star players graduated last year, she said, so the team has had to adjust to become successful this year.

“We’re definitely a lot more intense than we were last year,” Murphy said. “We actually run plays and it’s been more of a team effort.”

Because of their achievements last year, the team played harder competition this season, Murphy said. One of the high points of their season was the large Chicago tournament they played in.

Even with their hard work all season and their previous title, Murphy said the State tournament was going to be harder to win this year.

“Many of the teams are catching up, and there are a lot of girls who started playing in middle school. This year it definitely wasn’t as big of a blowout,” Murphy said.

Bri Allstun, senior, and a few other returning water polo players have been working on learning new positions to fill the gaps left by graduating seniors. Allstun said she has become one of the team’s main shooters in the process.

Players wait to practice a shooting drill during their last practice before districts. The team has gained several new players since last year, and they have been working on improving technique and being aggressive. “We’re definitely a lot more intense than we were last year. We actually run plays and it’s been more of a team effort,” Meg Murphy, senior, said. (Media by Annabelle Miller)

“We had to figure out our new team dynamic in order to win, and we’ve been working on it through the season,” Allstun said.

The team gained several new players and another assistant coach this year, so their focus has been on being aggressive and improving their techniques, Allstun said.

“We started out a little bumpy, but now I think we’re getting there,” Allstun said.

Claire Maniscalco, water polo coach, said the team has come together throughout the season and improved each game.

“I expect my girls to come into each game and give it their all. Whatever happens, happens but I want them to try hard and have fun,” Maniscalco said.

Because the water polo team gained several new players this year, Maniscalco said, they had to work hard on

new plays and training girls for new positions. 

Going into State, Maniscalco said she knew one of the team’s biggest obstacles would be Oakville, who won state this year and came in second last year. Oakville’s team didn’t change from last year, and they beat MHS twice over the season.