By Cate Meister
Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) girls’ water polo brought back a victory in a preseason game against Cerritos High School (CHS) with a final score of 11-3 on Dec. 16. All players contributed to their resounding victory; key players include senior Alexia Cooper, juniors Jessica Jang and Juli Stock and sophomore Jiana Balta.
“The team did a great job today. They started the game strong and kept a solid defense,” head coach Kyle Adama said.
Balta kicked off the first quarter by winning the sprint for the ball, which initiated in a series of passes that allowed Jang a shot on goal. After an initial miss, Jang followed up with a second shot, making the score 1-0.
Shortly after, an early goal from CHS turned the score to 1-1, but a series of goals in the first quarter gave the Barons an early lead. A far shot from senior Grayce Sakamoto into the lower left corner brought the score to 2-1. She was followed by another long shot from Cooper in the upper right side of the goal for a 3-1 lead.
The team’s momentum slowed down during the second half of the first quarter, but the Barons finished off with a goal by Jang for a 4-1 score.
The second quarter began with another successful sprint from Balta. Initially, the Barons’ offensive momentum was slow, but they maintained defensive pressure. Both Jang and Sakamoto’s defense allowed for key turnovers during the quarter.
After an assist from freshman Kalia Wesley, Cooper took a wide shot to bring the score up to 5-1. Later on, a pass up the pool to Jang allowed her to score in the team’s sixth goal of the game.
Quarter three began with a passing sequence that resulted in a goal from Cooper, raising the score to 7-1. Following a series of turnovers alongside defensive pressure from Jang and sophomore Liberty Jones, Stock scored; the quarter concluded with a score of 8-1.
Balta, who successfully sprinted again in the last quarter, had a wide shot that furthered the Barons’ lead, making the scoreboard 9-1. Two late-game goals from Cerritos brought the score to 10-2. Nevertheless, the Barons ended strong with a goal from Balta, making the final score 11-3.
“The warmup and start to the game went well. They were able to keep that momentum throughout the game,” Adama said. “[I’m] proud of how the team was able to make adjustments from [the] coaching staff and apply it.”
The Barons will compete against Santa Fe Christian at Santa Fe High School on Jan. 5 at 3:15 p.m.
