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Womens water polo comes away from tournament pleased Katy Conrad Even with head coach Kevin Chapman away at a coaching conference, the womens water polo team won every game at the Oct. 4 Sycamore Tournament in Cincinnati. Senior co-captain Lauren Stiebler said the games were more challenging than usual, as Chapman's absence made many team members uneasy. "A lot of the girls were nervous without Chapman there to call out directions," Steibler said. Chapman said he was attending the Ohio High School Swimming Coaches Conference Oct. 4 and 5 while the girls played at Sycamore. Junior Jillian Huffman said Chapman was not at the Napoleon meet last year and although the team won its games, the girls did not play up to their usual standards. "The team was not as united last year [at the Napoleon meet] as we are this year," Huffman said. "[Team members] did not trust each other in the water and were not able to depend on each other during plays. As a team, we were more dependent on our coach last year." Stiebler said the girls stepped up to the challenge this year when Chapman was not at the meet. She said juniors took leadership and a lot of the freshmen scored. "Our assistant coach [Christy Frank] did a good job handling the team," she said. "She kept us focused on our game." Stiebler said Frank kept players' spirits up through the two-day tournament. The girls took on two teams Oct. 4. They squashed Sycamore 10-3 and kept their game up for a 9-2 win over Cincinatti Princeton. They played Thomas Worthington and Milford Oct. 5, winning 10-5 and 16-2, respectively. With Chapman back poolside, the team won three more games Oct. 6 at the Sylvania Northview Tournament: Thomas Worthington 5-4, Napoleon 8-2, and Sycamore 10-2. Thomas proved to be a tough challenge, Huffman said. "They know our players, the strong scorers, and our techniques," she said. "We were down 4-2 at half time. They came ready to beat us, but we kept playing like the score was 0-0 and we had nothing to lose." Senior captain Caitlin Spangler said the girls' hours of practice and their game skills pulled them through the challenge and brought them success over tough competition. "The girls have to play the games," Spangler said, "and know what they are doing out there, because Chapman cannot get in and play for them." |