Comets eye elusive PCAC 3-peat
SAN MARCOS, CA (8/22/2022) – Fresh off a back-to-back Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Championship and their second CCCAA SoCal Regional appearance in as many years, the 2022 Palomar Women's Water Polo team is back to defend their title. Losing only one player to the next level, the Comets' roster is riddled with returning talent. Sophomores Brynna Bryant and Elena Pena (this year's team captain) are back and ready to compete for a three-peat. Bryant and Pena, both All-PCAC 1st Team and All SoCal 2nd Team picks last season, have stepped into the leadership roles this season and have set the goal of making it to the second round of the CCCAA SoCal Regional, something they nearly missed out on last season after Riverside City College won the first-round regional match 14-13.
"We have more returners this season, so we already have a bond," Bryant said. "We've been able to become a team much faster," Pena added.
The Comets will head to tournaments hosted at Saddleback College, Mt. San Antonio College, Cerritos College, and Long Beach City College where they will play the heart of their schedule. This season, the PCAC will have one round of play before entering their conference tournament at Southwestern College.
"When we play in those tournaments, we learn how to communicate better as a team because the game is a faster pace," sophomore Jamie DeSorbo said.
This is the largest team in recent years for the Comets, one which boasts five returners who were key components to last season's success. Having a larger team gives the Comets more depth this season, something they're going to need if they want to advance further into the SoCal Regional.
"We're normally in a nervous limbo at this point in the season as far as how many girls we have," assistant coach Lucy Gates said. "So it's nice to have more."
Having more players and players with experience under head coach Mandy Simon and Gates, a duo who work well together, is exactly what they are looking for this season. Team chemistry is a huge factor for Simon and Gates, so having returners who already have a bond and bringing the new players into the Comet water polo family, is vital to the team's success.
"We've set the tone for what we expect this season," Gates said. "We had our team meeting and then Jamie hosted us for team breakfast."
The Comets will open their season at the Saddleback Invitational on Sept. 9, where they will face Ventura College at 12 p.m.