Team needs work to take on tough opponents
Despite losing 10 players from a year ago to graduation, the San
Benito High School girls’ water polo team appears to be unsinkable.
This season the Balers are undefeated in league play, 6-3 overall
and expectations are soaring.
Team needs work to take on tough opponents
Despite losing 10 players from a year ago to graduation, the San Benito High School girls’ water polo team appears to be unsinkable. This season the Balers are undefeated in league play, 6-3 overall and expectations are soaring.
“We’re playing pretty good,” said Lacey Sutton, the San Benito High girls’ water polo coach. “We’re still hoping to finish first or second this year. Even after losing all of those players, I knew we would pull through.”
As it stands right now the Balers are tied for first place in league with defending league champion Santa Catalina. Salinas and Gilroy High are close seconds.
Although the Balers lost a number of solid players what has kept Sutton confident and the team competitive this season is that its nucleus remained intact. That nucleus consists of seniors Katie Buzzetta, Jayme Telles and Sarah Yoldi.
“They are all anchoring the team this year and playing well,” Sutton said.
Buzzetta is the team’s most experienced player. She leads the team in goals this year and has shored up play in front of the opposition’s net as the Balers No. 1 scoring threat at the two-meter position. She has 29 goals this season.
“She is experienced and really smart,” Sutton said. “I could put her in at any position. She has a very powerful shot and she always finds a way to get open.”
And when she’s not open, Telles has been right there to pick up the slack. Playing from the driver position Telles has also had a knack for finding the back of the net this year and is second on the team in scoring with 28 goals to her credit.
“She understands the counter attack very well,” Sutton said. “She steps up her defensive play and she is smart and quick.”
In addition to her scoring prowess Telles has a knack for finding the open player, which is normally Buzzetta, whose position calls on her to camp out in front of the net and wait for the perfect feed.
Telles leads the team this season in assists with 17. She is tied for the team lead in steals with 26 with Kelsey Russell and she’s second on the team behind Buzzetta for shots on goal.
What Buzzetta and Telles shore up in the field Yoldi handles for the Balers in the cage. So far this season she’s made more than 40 saves for the Balers.
“She has been working really hard for us and she has been getting her passes down a lot better,” Sutton said. “Her passing is pretty accurate and she’s quick at blocking shots.”
In addition to the solid play by the team’s senior leaders, Sutton has been most impressed with the team’s ability to communicate well in the pool as well as their desire to work together as a team.
While most of the news out at Baler camp this fall has been positive, the one area Sutton wants to see her team improve on is movement on offense.
“We need to drive the ball up more towards the other team’s goal better,” she said. “That is probably one of the things that has hurt us most this year.”
Sutton is hoping that one problem area is under control by the time her team squares off against Santa Catalina at home on October 16.
“Our goal is to win league, but they are still the team to beat,” she said. “We want to beat them. They have only two returnees but they will be a good team.”
A year ago the Balers lost to Santa Catalina twice – once during the regular season and again in the Tri County Athletic League championship tournament. The Balers still managed to advance to the Division I Section tournament before being ousted by St. Francis High School in second round action. Santa Catalina also advanced to the second round in CCS Division II play before succumbing to Menlo School.
