The Varsity Girls water polo team faced a tough loss on Dec. 11, at Del Norte High School. This game was a violent and intense watch which challenged both teams. The team often gets bitten, kicked in the throat, and headbutted. They had to endure freezing temperatures in and out of the water on top of the physical endurance needed.“This affected the way we played the game by stiffing our muscles from the shock of the water, but we were able to adapt and overcome these harsh conditions,” junior Emma Lee said. Del Norte was fierce, using illegal tactics to get ahead. Their defense was particularly harsh and intense. In the third quarter, things started to heat up as they were getting closer to surpassing Del Norte’s score, but then Del Norte started running out the clock with timeouts. The goalie, junior Keira Walters used quick and sharp blocking throughout the game to try and stop Del Norte from scoring alongside her teammates. “It’s cool to watch the field and see how their hard work has paid off,” Kiara Walters said. Poway fought hard, but ended up losing, ending with a final score of, 12 to 5.  Del Norte played aggressively with a fierce defense.  Some of their most recent games were on Dec. 5 which was a 13-5 loss against Rancho Bernardo High School. Then on Dec. 2 they had a great win against Canyon Crest Academy with an exceptional score of 21-7. In that game, the team improved greatly from their previous matches with better blocking, defense, and teamwork according to their coach Crystal Patterson. Overall, this game was a significant game for these girls. They have been working very hard and are determined to win the following games. They are powering through these cold winter days practicing in freezing water with a positive attitude. “This was an awful game challenging us to better us throughout the season,” coach Crystal Patterson said. The girls water polo team will have room  for improvement when it comes to consistency between their games with better blocking, communication, and throwing. Waterpolo is a hard body focused sport with the challenge of competing in water unable to touch the ground and having to constantly be moving to stay afloat. The girls have to endure not only physical playing but mental trying to stay warm in the cold waters. As they swim through water endlessly relying on their strength to push them through. The teamwork between the girls 0is the difference between a victory or defeat.