The Girls Water Polo team stormed through the Spring Branch ISD Water Polo Tournament Thursday to Saturday in Houston and Cypress. With more than half underclassmen in their first year of the sport, the team is gelling well and showing growth with every quarter. For the record: 20 goals, 44 steals/turnovers, 41 saves and 12 assists.

Thursday’s non-district match-up at the home natatorium WW Emmons against Memorial had the Spartans leading with strength 4-0 at the end of the first quarter. The Mustangs fought back to 4-4 in the fourth. A surprising goal with seconds on the clock made for a heartbreaking 5-4 loss to MHS. Strong defense and offense came from senior Gwendolyn Beach with two goals, and single scorers junior Lily Askounis, co-captain senior Ashley Cooper. Assists and steals were keys to strong play with multiple credits to junior Emma Jackson, sophomores Hana Riley and Avery Garcia, and senior Ashley Cardin. Soph Sara Beth Roady and frosh Lilli Oteiza made quiet contributions, and the echo was loud when co-captain senior goalie Caroline Smith blocked 19 shots on goals – including 4 amazing saves.

Storms delayed the rest of Thursday play, so the Spartan girls were squeezed in Friday for their match-up against Jersey Village. Total teamwork led to a nail-biting 9-8 win for the Spartans. Emma Jackson sparked the team with back-to-back unassisted goals in the first quarter. Beach, Askounis, and Cardin traded assists and scores. On top of heads-up defense, Hana Riley muscled her way to two unassisted goals in the second quarter. Jackson thundered back with two more goals in the second half along with tough defense and multiple monster blocks. Beach scored the final goal of the game, and a Jackson steal kept the score in the right place. Caroline Smith had two super blocks and a total of 6 saves.

Two games on Saturday at the Cy Ranch Aquatics rounded out the SBISD tournament hosted by Stratford and Memorial High Schools. Game 1 against Cy Ranch in their home nat was a tight match featuring strong defense, forced turnovers, smart passing and shooting, and outstanding goalkeeping. Senior Smith rocked 15 saves in the game. Goals, assists and steals were attributed to Garcia, Beach, Jackson, Askounis, Riley, Cardin, and Roady. Freshman Lilli Oteiza and Molly Kate Minyard substituted in and held their own. The final: Stratford 5, Cy Ranch 7.

Game 2 against Brazoswood -- among the state’s elite competitors--opened the door to quarters of play action for freshmen and first years. The 15-2 score doesn’t tell the story from the pool: Freshman Bella Smith spelled her sister in the goalie box and chalked up her own set of saves and a monster block. Freshman Elizabeth Conner played heads up and hustle along with strong team play from first-years Caroline Steranko, Elle Burke, Molly Kate Minyard, Leah Claire Nall, Roady, and Oteiza. And junior Lindsay Wong made her water polo debut with a strong defensive game. Goals came from veterans Ashley Cardin off a Riley assist and Askounis off a rebound from a Conner attempt.

Next Up: the girls play at Lamar High School on Tuesday.