Girls Water Polo Making a Splash

April 28, 2009

Goal-driven in GV water polo action vs. Middlebury College

Girls water polo is off to a 4 and 2 start this season—great testament to a team that typically comes together over a season—as girls who have never played water polo before learn the sport.

"With most of us coming out of swim season—an overwhelmingly individual sport—it has been a tough transition into a wholly team sport, but it is working out really well," says Virginia '11. Fellow swimmer Catherine '12 finds that she enjoys the change to more physical competition. "Being aggressive and playing hard are necessary, but really fun after a non-contact sport like swimming. It feels great when you can physically push someone out of your way to get to your goal!"

A playful dunk of a teammate as girls warm up for a scrimmage.Coach Lundy Smith knows what to expect and how to support new team members. "In my 8 years of coaching at Exeter, I've had only 3 players arrive with a previous background in water polo," he says.

Returning teammates play a key role in developing new players' skills quickly. "I like being able to help the new players understand the game better and to support the returning players through difficult practices and games," says Captain Julia '09. "It's so rewarding to see what we learned in practice being applied successfully in a game." She adds, "Seeing this direct influence is extremely motivating, and the girls can feel their play improving as they get more comfortable and confident with their skills."

"The Exeter sports program is much more dedicated and rigorous than anything I was used to," says Lauren '10, a new player who hails from England. "I'm excited to be playing my first season of water polo as it is something totally new to me. It requires a whole new set of skills that I am steadily learning with the help of my coach and teammates."

Looking for an opening against the Middlebury defense.Water polo players recruit other potential athletes to the team. Last fall, the girls held regular open polo nights on Tuesdays. Anywhere from 5 to 14 girls would play, practicing passing and other techniques. "It was a chance for them to invite their friends to try and pick up the game," says Coach Smith.

As a result, the team now has field hockey, squash, and basketball players contributing their athleticism to water polo. "Although most of our players are drawn from the swim team, these other players bring different skills to the team, for example, the ability to see how an offense works," explains Smith. "Certain sports such as lacrosse and basketball translate well to water polo with lots of cutting and movement revolving around the cage."

Tammara '11 is a skilled squash player who has successfully taken over the goal this year. She notes, "I actually wasn't interested in being a goalie. The coaches saw that I could throw pretty accurately, so they asked me if I wanted to try it. I was really happy they asked me because I was getting exhausted out in the water!"

The season got off to a more exciting start than usual when the team found itself playing in a 4-team college tournament (MIT, Bates, Wesleyan, Boston College) without a single practice. They managed to win 2 of the 4 games, which bodes well as the season advances.

As it turned out, the team had 5 college scrimmages and only 3 practices before their first league game. Catherine thinks the tough start will pay off during the season. "There was a tremendous sense of teamwork showing already after the first league game."

Coach Smith uses pause in the action vs. Middlebury to provide
his players with some tips.Exeter is one of 10 teams competing in NEPSAC water polo this spring. Each year, the 4 best teams compete in the New England tournament. Coach Smith sees the league competition coming from the perennial powers of Choate, Deerfield (responsible for the team's 2 league losses), and Loomis (scheduled on April 29). He expects Exeter to be competing hard in the final-four New England tournament.

Captain Julia already has her eyes set on the New England tournament, which for added motivation, will be held at Exeter this year. "This is an extremely talented team. We have experienced returning players, which is always helpful when it comes to winning. But it is our new players who have really added the depth we need to win. The past 3 years, we placed third in the New Englands. This year, I am confident that we are serious contenders to win."

Interested in learning more?

Read more about the girls and boys water polo teams.

Check out the pool and other athletic facilities.

See the athletic schedule and team pages.