The City College water polo team demolished Los Angeles Valley College in a 20-5 rout, bringing home its fifteenth straight win on Wednesday at San Marcos High School.
With both teams entering the game undefeated, City College got off to a rocky start until about halfway through the first quarter, when sophomore utility player Kendra Carr scored the first goal. From that point on City College controlled the rest of the game, marred by a few defensive slip-ups in the last quarter.
Carr, Sophomore Attacker Halie Johnson and Freshman Center Ivana Bilaver were vital to City College’s offense throughout the game, with freshman center Gabrielle Ritter scoring four points in the second and third quarters.
Despite the first quarter starting with both teams fighting for the ball, City College ended it 5-0, setting a margin against LA Valley that increased as the game went on.
“It was a team effort,” said Sophomore Goalkeeper Mackenzie Richards of City College’s defense.
LA Valley’s defense opened up the second quarter making more aggressive plays, but the Monarchs didn’t stop Carr from scoring about one minute in. Opposing attacker Jessica Chandler scored LA Valley’s first goal four minutes in.
After closing out the first half and leading 9-1, City College’s defense occasionally fell through in the second half of the game but its offense was consistent all the way through, with Bilaver scoring three goals in the fourth quarter.
“Whether she’s on center defender or two-meter offense she makes everyone’s job a little easier,” said Vaquero Head Coach Chuckie Roth. “On defense she neutralizes essentially their best player. On offense, she commands usually two players at a time, which provides opportunities for us.”
City College ended the game 20-5, confirming the Vaqueros’ position as the only undefeated women’s water polo team in California.
“We haven’t lost a game, that’s a fact, but we still have a lot to work on,” said Roth. “We’re just trying to work on those things and make ourselves a better team.”
Richards said City College’s counterattacks are the team’s most powerful asset, citing improved defense from the beginning of the season as another key advantage.
“We don’t try to change things up too much, we’re just trying to learn our players better and I think this weekend will be a good opportunity for us,” Roth said.
Catch the Lady Vaqueros in the Ventura Tournament this weekend at the Ventura Aquatic Center, where they will strive to maintain their undefeated streak.
