On Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, Berkeley High School’s varsity girls water polo team faced off against Bishop O’Dowd High School. BHS came off with a strong offense from the jump. Through working together, and keeping a consistent defensive and offensive stance, the BHS girls water polo team were able to claim a victory over O’Dowd. The victory marked a notable moment for BHS, following losses to O’Dowd last season that had left the team determined to prove themselves this time around.
Last year, Bishop O’Dowd was the team to beat, and BHS didn’t have the successes they hoped for. This season, however, has turned out differently in part due to key strategies made by Coach Logan Hennessy and the team maintaining their control over the game. Co-captain Morgan Ostrer, who finished the game with three points and two assists, commented on the win saying, “O’Dowd is a team that beat us last year in this very pool, and I think that this year we’ve come together a lot more as a team. We’re a lot sharper and we beat them,” Ostrer said.
BHS started the game with a quick interception of the ball which led to a goal almost instantly. At only a few minutes into the game, BHS offense had the score to 3-0 and O’Dowd was fighting for a chance to catch up. The ball raced back and forth from either side of the pool, but defenders from both teams didn’t allow any shot past their goalies. By the end of the first quarter, the score was still 3-0 and O’Dowd was ready to make a comeback. The second half started with two quick back to back goals for O’Dowd. BHS’s defense, led by senior goalie Cecelia Lutz, worked to regain control of the game and increased their lead by the third quarter.
Lutz said, “I think we started off strong, and then there was a moment where we sort of lost control of the game a little bit. But I think in the second half, we really refocused and got it back and I felt secure in our win.”
At the start of the third quarter, BHS defense tightened up, holding off O’Dowd and maintaining their lead of a score of 5-4. Meanwhile, key offensive plays were made by top scorers like senior Eden Barnes. Teamwork was especially apparent in this game, and the team played as one strong united force. Reflecting on the game afterwards, Barnes noted, “It felt like a really good team dynamic,” when emphasizing the importance teamwork held in their performance.
Shot after shot was fired at O’Dowd, and BHS offense was giving it everything they had. Hennessy commented, “They played with grit. They kept playing hard.” Their offensive strategies remained consistent throughout the end of the third quarter going into the fourth with a substantial lead of 9-5. With seven seconds left in the game and BHS clinging to a four point lead, they made a final shot and finished the game 11-6.
Hennessy and the rest of the BHS girls varsity water polo team are not afraid to take on the challenge of facing competition. “Come prepared for a tough challenge when you play against us. We’re ready to play against anybody in the league,” Hennessy said.