The girls water polo team will play its second district game against Marcus at the LISD Eastside Aquatic Center on Sep. 26 at 5:30 p.m. 

“We beat [Marcus] the first time,” senior driver Avery Gallucci said. “They know how we’re going to work and know our place, but I’m confident that our team can work around that and we can beat them again.” 

The team ended the playoffs last year with an 18-4 loss against Flower Mound. Assistant coach Sarah Carlile said she feels confident in the team’s abilities this season. 

“Our girls team is mostly seniors and have played together in multiple games where they have been able to grow together to continue to dominate their opponents,” Carlile said. “[Head coach Donzie Lilly and I] are very confident that both the girls and boys teams will make it to the playoffs.”

The team has played Marcus three times this season. On Aug. 18, the team won 16-7. In their most recent game on Sept. 8, they won 15-10. Since that win, the team has won against Keller 21-3, Southlake 16-12 and Flower Mound 15-9. Their season has consisted of 22 wins out of 26 games.

“We’ve gotten a lot better at communication, being able to swim down the pool really quickly and play good defense,” Gallucci said. “Mainly, our communication with each other has really improved, which is really important.” 

To prepare for the upcoming game, the team has been looking over film to analyze old games and are practicing defense and offense plays. Senior goalkeeper Savana Slaughter said a core part of their performance is the strength of their teamwork. 

“We have some very strong shooters and we have girls that are made for their positions, such as our center and drivers,” Slaughter said. “We collectively work really well together.”