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With a change in the game times, the girls had to speed things up to get the game started.

“I was really nervous because the game started even earlier than what we are used to, so we all had to get mentally prepared in a shorter amount of time. We did do really well, but I know we could have done better,” stated Daisy Cupis.

As the Granite Hills Grizzlies and the Monache Marauders lined up, both teams quickly called out the numbers they were going to guard. The beginning of the game sprint was won by Monache.

Minutes passed and the Grizzlies defense didn’t seem to hold up. Point guard, Savannah Pipkin and Cupis tried to pass the ball into whole set; Ashlee Halopoff but Monache picked up on the short passes. The end of the quarter led with the score of 6-0 Marauders taking the lead.

“I know we could have done better if our heads held even higher. Practice is a very crucial part in water polo and the game just wasn’t in our favor. We will be working hard at every practice so we know what to do in the second round,” states Pipkin.

Second quarter started with the starting six for Granite. Halopoff shot and made two shots and Cupis made one. A foul was called on Halopoff as well as a Monache player, and they were both kicked out for a couple minutes. Meagan Carazolez filled in for a position giving the other Grizzlies a chance to rest. Kelly Rodriguez gave it her all as she tried to block a couple shots. The ending score of the second quarter was 10-3 Monache still taking the lead.

A swim off started the third quarter and the Grizzlies decided to just play defense instead of racing for the ball. As the Marauders received the ball and swam it down Halopoff stole a pass and quickly relayed it off to Isabel Ruiz to take a shot, but missed. The Grizzlies stepped up their defense as well as their offence. Serena assisted Halopoff in a shot as well as Carazolez and Cupis. The third quarter score ended in 17-6.

“It is amazing how well we can recognize our weaknesses and go around that. This is not only a very physical game, but a mental game. Once we noticed our problems, we turned it around and kept a smile on our faces,” says Ruiz.

The forth and final quarter was the Grizzlies last chance to give it everything they had. Many assists were made to Halopoff as she scored. No major fouls were made after the second quarter. In a fight and a battle the Grizzlies fell short. The ending score was 22-9 Monache took the win.

“We are a new team, and we are still learning, but our team has come a long way. We all get a long, so that’s a plus, and most importantly we all believe in each other,” says Myra Zendajas.

Halopoff scored eight points, and Cupis scored one. The assists were from Cupis, Carazolez, Serena and Rodriguez. At the goal line, Mischele Salazar blocked more than five shots.