Winning their first ever North Coast Section championship, Amador Valley Girls Water Polo beat out Alhambra High School’s team. The victory secured the top spot on Saturday November 15th, in a 7-9 victory.
Photo Provided by Carys Shannon.
“I think the first reaction to winning NCS was honestly a little bit of shock, and I don’t think it really settled in for a lot of us. We were all just really proud of our achievement. […] We had worked the whole season [for] this and we finally achieved it. I think going into the game we all really wanted this win and we all tried to keep a positive mindset,” said Field Player and Alternate Goalie Carys Shannon (‘26).
The team competed in North Coast Section’s Division Two. They played their first round against Irvington High School on November 5th for a 4-9 victory. On November 8th, they won quarterfinals by 4 goals against Lick-Wilmerding High School. Their 2-6 win against Marin Catholic High School in the November 12th semifinals game cinched their spot in the final round of the NCS championship.
“I thought about how far my team has come over the season, and how proud I was of everyone for putting in the work and leaving everything out there in the pool,” said Captain Zahra Alami (‘26).
The team focused on keeping energy high. Before the game, the team relied on their pregame ritual of listening to hype music while warming up to carry them into the first quarter.
“The biggest challenge we’ve had to overcome is our own mental block. At the beginning of the season, we wouldn’t talk as much before games and everyone would get inside their own head. We’d play with nerves and not enough confidence and trust in ourselves and the team. […] But we were able to overcome this later in the season by talking to each other more before games, pep talks, open communication, and we were able to start off our games with a bang,” said player Anusha Shelatkar (‘26).
With amazing saves from Goalie Deepika Suresh (26) and shots made by Shelatkar, Captain Susan Swyers (‘26), and Abigail Jones (‘26) the team cinched a two-goal lead over Alhambra.
“We came out really strong. [The] second quarter was our worst one where we were down by two. It was very stressful during that part because obviously we’re down. I think when we had halftime break we all just came together, reassessed, took a big deep breath,” said Captain and Goalie Deepika Suresh (‘26).
“We all came back together and the mentality completely shifted for [the] third-quarter where we scored multiple goals. We were leading by three or four so definitely, that was a big jump.”
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Along with their coach Drake Southern, AV Water Polo players hold up one fingers, an ode to their first-place victory at NCS.
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The team bites their medals, celebrating AV Girls Water Polo’s first-ever NCS win.
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A packed stands celebrates as AV takes the lead at the NCS Finals Game.
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The victorious Lady Dons pose with their medals, alongside their coaches, post-NCS victory.
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Head Coach Drake Southern jumped into the pool alongside the team following their victory. They clutch their medals proudly.
Post-game victory celebration saw Head Coach Drake Southern jumping into the pool to join a group cheer with the team. This is Southern’s first year coaching the water polo team.
“Last year […] we lost two great shooters and our set [defense]. So coming from that, we had to learn a lot. Additionally, we had a new head coach this year who is new to the position, but is doing great. So definitely, during the beginning, it was a bit of a struggle. But I think we figured it out really well.” said Suresh.
This win allows Varsity Girls Water polo to continue their season in the Division 3 of the CIF State Championship. Their first game will be played against Los Altos High School on November 18th at Los Altos High School.
