Nikki de Roos, although only a freshman, is proving to be a key player on the varsity girls’ water polo team. Relatively new to the sport, de Roos finds her passion in playing with her teammates.

“I started in 8th grade after Holland won the Olympics,” said de Roos. “After that I told my mom that I really wanted to play water polo. So when I got to high school and heard there was a team here, I joined.”

Because de Roos started out as a swimmer, the transition between sports was a little easier for her. Now, she does not swim competitively. But she started off with water polo in 8th grade by attending the De Anza Cupertino Aquatics (DACA) Water Polo program. From there, her love for the sport grew.

Her teammates are also grateful for her support. Senior offensive hole set Joyee Woodrow praised her efforts.

“She always tries to get open and makes a lot of shots. And she’s really good at defense too,” said Woodrow.

Coach Crase agrees with Woodrow; de Roos is a valuable player that should not be underestimated.

“[de Roos] has a lot to learn about the game, but for her first year she’s doing really well,” said coach Courtney Crase. “She’s also a powerhouse. She’s a fast swimmer and has a strong shot. She works well with the team.”

Recently, the girls played at the Varsity Wildcat Tournament at Los Gatos High against five other schools, Salinas, Notre Dame Belmont, Live Oak, Presentation and Aragon, on Oct. 17. They beat Notre Dame Belmont and Salinas.

“It was difficult because Saturday morning was the PSAT, so we were missing 11 players,” said Crase. “It was a tough.”

As of Oct. 21, the league record for the team was 1-0-10. They will be playing in league finals for placement this coming week. Due to printing deadlines, this article was not able to cover games against Homestead, Palo Alto and Los Altos on Oct. 21, 26 and 28, respectively.

“Even though we lost games, I’m still proud that we put in our best effort,” said Chetia.