Saturday 4/27 – Andover: 2, Greenwich High School: 13
Saturday 4/27 – Andover: 6, Williston: 15
Over the weekend, the Andover Girls Water Polo team faced off in a double header against Greenwich High School and Williston Northampton (Williston). Despite their strong effort, the team unfortunately suffered losses to both opponents.
Sofia Hatzigiannis ’26 noted that the team anticipated strong defensive pressure from the opposing team, prompting them to practice a range of plays that deviated from their typical routine.
“Leading up to the game, because we knew that the two meter player, Molly, would have a lot of pressure on her, meaning that it would be very hard to pass to her, we tried practicing shooting outside of the two meter area which is way more difficult because we’re farther,” said Hatzigiannis.
Offensively, Hatzigiannis feels that the team has grown more comfortable with taking risks during shooting. This shift has transformed their approach from a conservative to a more confident playstyle, significantly impacting the dynamics of each game.
“I would say that an improvement that we’ve seen from previous games, though, is that a lot of people are trying to shoot when they are given the opportunity instead of waiting around and trying to pass it to someone else who will then shoot. They will just take initiative and try to shoot the ball,” said Hatzigiannis.
Hatzigiannis highlighted the team’s training routines, focusing on the importance of positioning and passing on the offensive end of the pool to facilitate shot setups. She underscored the significant improvements they have achieved compared to previous games.
“In the week preparing for the game, we practiced on a lot of shooting without trying to pass it out in front of the goal, and we got better at that, and we can see how that translated into the game because a lot of our goals were outside the two meter area instead of passed to the person directly to the front and then shot,” said Hatzigiannis.
Sophia You ’26 commented on the team’s enhanced communication, which she credits as a key factor behind their improvements in movement, positioning, and shooting.
“I’d say some strengths of the team in this game was communication. We worked a lot on that leading up to the game, and it worked well because people were telling other people what to do, where to pass, and it was just really effective,” said You.
You also described the meet as very exciting and informative for progress and improvements, noting that the high level of competition was beneficial for the team’s learning.
You stated, “Everybody was excited, and it was really fun to play against two very good teams. It was also really nice to watch the game between the two other teams; it was very educational. It really helped us learn and improve as a team.”
For the upcoming weeks, the team aims to continue improving their communication and positioning in the pool, hoping these aspects will significantly enhance their overall gameplay and coordination.
“For the upcoming week, we’re working a bit on zone defense, and we’re going to work on some picks and more of just creating motion, knowing when to drop, knowing when to go back out onto your player. And of course, communication, working and getting the ball from the goalie earlier in the shot clock,” said You.
Girls Water Polo will play Loomis Chaffee and Choate away on Saturday.
