The girls’ water polo team achieved a significant goal this year: reaching the CCS playoffs, although it was the result of a confusing tiebreaker situation that they ultimately won.
In the El Camino league final tournament, they won all their games until they played Lynbrook in the finals on Oct. 30. While they fought hard, they ended up losing 9-5 and it became uncertain if they would qualify for CCS. In the end, the team was still the only one in the El Camino League to qualify for CCS.
They attended the Division II CCS tournament on Saturday, Nov. 8, at Aptos High, where they lost to a strong Stevenson team 22-3. Stevenson went on to dominate the competition and win the tournament. Despite the loss, it was still the first time since 2018 that the girls’ water polo team had qualified for the CCS tournament.
“I think that our team played pretty well during CCS,” senior Isa Qvarfordt-Zhai said. “[Stevenson] had a lot of really strong players and more than anything I am glad that we never gave up.”
Although the team attended CCS, they are not the only league champions for the season. All the games played prior to the final league tournament are considered round robin plays, which determine the league champion. After the round robin games, the Falcons and Homestead were tied at first place with 14 wins each, while Lynbrook ended in third place with 13 wins, earning the title of league tournament champion.
In a tie situation like this, the league champion would normally be determined by the higher goal differential out of the two games the schools played against each other during the season. However, both scores for the Saratoga and Homestead games ended with differences of one goal.
On Nov. 17, there was a league final meeting which determined the team that would move up to the De Anza Division, with Saratoga, Lynbrook, and Homestead being declared Tri-Champions of the division. Nevertheless, the Falcons were nominated to move up, so unless they submit an appeal, which will be done if the majority of the team votes to stay in the current league, they will move up to the upper division for next season.
While the team is losing six seniors, coach Michael Alegretti thinks moving up to a higher league and playing stronger players will boost the skill and level of the team. Alegretti also believes that the team has already tremendously improved through this season as well.
“At the beginning of the season, half of our team had never played water polo,” he said. “Through the commitment of our upperclassmen to work with the newer players in teaching and demonstrating the various skills of the game, our program has grown and become stronger.”
