Head coach: Jerome Chung
2015-2016 record: 2-10 regular season
2015-2016 recap: After half of the starting lineup graduated, the team quickly regrouped but fell far short of making it to CCS.
Key Additions: sophomores Madi Hartman and Maddie Stuart, juniors Aileen Zhang and Vivien Zhang
Key Matchups: Homestead, Milpitas, Wilcox
Star Players: seniors Kailyn Koerber, Kanika Vora and Sophie Sellers
Key Losses (graduated athletes): Haley Rositano and Jace Welton
League: Santa Clara Valley Athletics League, El Camino Division
Prognosis: “If we put the effort in, and if we really focus on what [our coach] wants us to do, then we can make it to the top in leagues this year,” sophomore Maddie Stuart said. “And that’s what we’re all striving for.”
After ending last season with a 2-11 record and being moved to the less competitive El Camino Division this year, the team is confident it can make playoffs and potentially even win in its division.
“We have a new coach, we have a lot of new girls on the team and we’re in a new league. I think we have a lot of potential. and we just need to play up to it,” senior Kanika Vora said.
New head coach Jerome Chung started coaching at Saratoga after training with Lynbrook’s boys’ water polo team. He has enforced training regiments during practice to prepare the Falcons for the upcoming season. With the exception of the goalies, he wants to make sure each player can cover every position equally well.
“[Our coach] takes practice very seriously, so there’s not much time to fool around,” junior Aileen Zhang said. “He may be constantly yelling at us, but it's for the better; it motivates us to push harder and be better.”
Confident in their abilities, the girls have high expectations for the season. With four new players joining their nine returning players, they will look to their team chemistry as a source for success.
“We all know each other, and we all know our team dynamic because we’ve played together all throughout high school,” Liu said. “This year I feel like we’re just going to end it really strong.”