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The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

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Veteran girls' water polo team chases high goals for new season

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Junior Hannah Park practices drills with her fellow teammates during Wednesday’s practice. – Marc HavlikThe Palo Alto High School girls’ water polo team (0-1) harbors high hopes for the upcoming season, boasting an arsenal of returning seniors and a renewed focus on offense.

A strong core of eight returning seniors contribute to the strength of the team, said senior driver and co-captain Haley Conner.

“We have a strong team this year,” Conner said. “We have a large senior class so there is a lot of experience.”

However, despite a large number of upperclassmen on the squad, the Vikings lack larger players, according to senior driver Lori Krakirian, who said the team has adapted to create a new playing style.

“We’re trying to improve our offense and overall intensity,” Krakirian said. “We don’t really have a single two-meter player, so our offense is focused mostly on movement.”

Conner believes that the Vikings’ will have a potent offense that will be bolstered by a capable group of offensive players.

“We are going to be a stronger offensive team because we have more people contributing to our goal count,” Conner said. “All of the girls on the starting team are more than capable of putting points on the board.”

Accompanying the new offensive style is a strong desire to return to the pool and defeat major rivals, according to Conner. Last year, the Vikings finished 4th in leagues with a disappointing loss to Los Altos High School in the closing moments of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League semi-finals.

“Our biggest rivals are Gunn High School and Los Altos High School; we lost to Gunn for the first time in a few years last season, and we are hoping to prove that we are a much better team,” Conner said. “We have never beaten Los Altos, so that is always a tough game that we are looking to win.”

The Vikings have been working hard since the beginning of summer to improve their overall skills, said head coach Cory Olcott. The training included an arduous pre-season “hell-week” and a strong emphasis on offensive fundamentals, according to Olcott.

“This year we spent a lot of time on offensive skills,” said Olcott. “We are looking to shoot a whole lot more.”

Olcott also provided insight into the Vikings’ 11-6 exhibition loss to East Bay powerhouse Campolindo High School on Friday at Avery Aquatic Center.

“We came out tight,” Olcott said. “Once we settled down we played evenly with Campo[lindo]. It was a valuable game; we learned a lot.”

Well-prepared and full of confidence, the Vikings are looking toward winning their division, Conner said. However, their ambitions reach far beyond a mere league title.

“We want to win CCS and we will try our hardest to do so,” said Conner.

The Vikings will play in the Saint Francis Invitational Tournament in Mountain View today.

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