By closing out the regular season with five consecutive league victories, including a season-ending 11-9 win against San Marcos, the girls water polo team celebrated the Palomar League championship, Jan. 30.
“We went into that game and we were super confident we’re going to destroy, we’re going to do so well, we’re going to be league champs,” Mckynley Mcculloch (12) said. “It was a little rough to start, but we really persevered and worked through it. As a team, we worked together well [and] were able to adjust against their defense. We really put away our shots, which was amazing.
Mcculloch said that their teamwork had a major impact on the outcome of the game.
“During the game, we just had such a great connection with each other. We were cheering each other on every moment of the game [and] for any mistake, we were giving positive feedback so we could fix it. I think it was one of our best games this season.”
According to Julia Zajac (10), the team’s success in the final match was due to their teamwork and preparation for the match.
“[We watched] the game footage to prepare for what kind of their attacks they would use and how their style of playing was in the practices leading up,” Zajac said. “We also had a lot of team chemistry. We knew that everyone on the team deserved that spot. It was just great because everything was working out and everyone was really good at their job.”
Zajac felt especially excited after winning the final league match because it was her first year on the team.
“We were all really happy,” Zajac said. “For me, it was my first time winning leagues and I’ve never had this great of achievement with water polo. We were celebrating, taking pictures, [and] jumping on each other.”
En route to the league title, Mcculloch broke two Westview girls water polo records for drawing ejections. She broke the record for total ejections drawn, with 82 in the league season. She also broke the record for total ejections drawn in a varsity career, with 163.
For McCulloch, the moment the coach told the team she had broken the record was one she would remember for the rest of her life.
“Our coaches were hype, and our entire team was hype,” she said. “It was such a great moment. When I found out that I broke the record, everybody was just jumping and screaming and it was such an amazing feeling to see that I have an amazing team right beside me. I’m really grateful for them.”
Mcculloch attributes her records on ejections drawn to her experience in the sport.
“I’ve been playing for 10 years,” she said. “I’m pretty experienced with what my coach has taught me to do and what not to do, for example different ways of showing that they’re holding you.”
The team won the first round and quarterfinals of CIFs against Granite Hills, Feb. 6, and Patrick Henry, Feb.10. The result of Wednesday’s semifinals match against Coronado was not available at publication time. If they won, they will play in the CIF Division tomorrow at 5 p.m. at the Coggan Aquatic Complex in La Jolla.
