San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec




San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

Water polo hopes to make a splash

Photo+by+Jordan+Owen%2C+Senior+Staff+Photographer
Photo by Jordan Owen, Senior Staff Photographer

This past summer, the No. 9 San Diego State women’s water polo team left the Big West Conference to join a new women’s water polo conference, in which the Aztecs are already making a name for themselves. SDSU was picked as the favorite to win the Golden Coast Conference championship this season by a poll of the league’s head coaches.

After starting off 3-0 and winning their 12th season opener in the last 13 years this past weekend, it looks as if this may be the season the Lady Aztecs have been waiting for.

[quote]“I think the Golden Coast Conference is a great way for our team to start out new, fresh and on top,” junior utility Taelor Moreno said.[/quote]

With every new season comes new challenges, but the challenge that arises each year for this team involves the Harper Cup, which is traditionally played against the University of California, San Diego, and has never been lost by SDSU. Knowing each meeting could potentially be the end of the Aztec dominance in the Harper Cup adds pressure to every situation, Moreno said.

[quote]“We play together and in sync, which makes everything that much easier and allows us to trust one another,” Moreno said.[/quote]

Consider the amount of synchronization that water polo requires and then try to imagine playing a sport of that caliber with freshmen on the starting squad and a roster without seniors. That is something the SDSU women’s team faced this year and in the past as well, according to junior defender Nika Sedghi.

The Aztecs have been faced with challenges such as finding a conference that would accept them playing with an extraordinarily young team, but they have still managed to play the role of favorite, getting off to a quick 3-0 start.

So far, SDSU has taken down Concordia University, California State University, Bakersfield and CSU Long Beach without too much of a threat. However, they will be facing off against other teams such as the University of the Pacific, Loyola Marymount University, California Baptist University, Azusa Pacific University and Fresno Pacific University.

Nonetheless, much lies ahead of this team and no championship comes easily. Expect the Aztecs to work as hard as any other team in the conference to ultimately earn the first-ever SDSU water polo title.

Looking forward, the Aztecs hope to play well enough and achieve such a record that would enable them to not only win a championship, but to also move into the Mountain West Conference next season and play for an even bigger title among greater competitors.

Photo by Jordan Owen, Senior Staff Photographer

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San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
Water polo hopes to make a splash