On March 8, 2023, the Libertyville girls water polo team played a fierce match in their home pool against the Highland Park Giants. From the opening swim-off to gain first possession, to the final horn to end the game, the Wildcats kept up a strong fight that enabled them to go home with a win of 10-1.

The first quarter very much set the tempo for how the Wildcats demonstrated their playing ability. For the Wildcats, sophomore Maya Anderson (7) was chosen for the swim-off. Once the six swimmers from each team took their posts, the game began.

The Giants narrowly snagged the ball from its starting position just before the Wildcats reached it. Not to be outdone, however, Anderson quickly stole the ball from her Highland Park opponent, kicking off a ball movement that reached her teammate, sophomore Kaitlyn Galloway (3). Galloway scored the first goal of the game, putting the Wildcats up 1-0.

Galloway’s goal would not be the last. By the time the first five goals had been scored, three of them belonged to the sharp-shooting sophomore. Focusing more on the team’s skill as a whole, Galloway attributed much of the success earned by the girls to their teamwork.

“We were just together as a team,” said Galloway. “We’re all very spirited, and before we even get in the water, we’re all very connected and together.”

Scoring was certainly a strength for the Wildcats in their game against the Giants. In fact, of the ten goals scored by the team, nine came from well-placed shots in the first quarter, with Galloway’s hat trick leading the way. Other successful shots came from junior Brooke McKibben (4), whose two goals consisted of one scored off of a recovered steal, and one in the last 20 seconds of the first quarter. Seniors Chhaya Doshi (17) and Kat Christofalos (22) each had one goal, as did Anderson and fellow sophomore Payton Howard (8).

The lone goal scored by the Wildcats in the second quarter came courtesy of senior Tanvi Chadalawada (12). Rather than run up the score, the home team chose to shift away from their offense and focus on ball movement, handling and passing. Coming off of a March 6 loss to Hersey, Coach Tracy Balla, in her seventh season as varsity’s head coach, agreed that this mix of sportsmanship and strategy was a good one.

“Today, we got a pretty good demo of the girls showing discipline,” Balla said, “and the skills that we’re going to need to improve to be able to beat teams like Hersey when we see them again.”

The Wildcats locked down defensively as well as offensively, successfully barring most attempts at shots on the goal during the game, aided by a solid performance from starting goalie and senior Kaitlyn Mitchell (1A). The Giants, however, would not be deterred. The Highland Park girls pushed through a score deficit, an opposing arena disadvantage and mounting exhaustion to score with just under four minutes left in the game, ending the possibility of a shutout.

With a mix of discipline, along with a strong lineup and skill set, the Wildcats were able to take home their first victory of the season. Their next game will be at home on March 9, 2023, as they take on the Elk Grove Grenadiers.