After starting off the season rough with two losses, the varsity water polo team was looking for at least one win at the Jenison Invitational that took place on Saturday, March 25, at Jenison.

At the tournament, they got what they were looking for. They won two out of the three games they played, only losing against Jenison. That loss was unfortunate because that was the game they were looking forward to winning in order to redeem themselves. Despite the fact that they lost, Saturday turned out to be a huge success and turned out really well for the girls.

Junior Olivia Oorbeck commented on the impact that the tournament had on the team by saying, “There was definitely a big shift into how we played–in a positive way. We were reacting to turnovers and the movement of the ball a lot faster. We were also taking a lot of more shots on the goal.”

What was special about this tournament was that JV played with varsity. The varsity team described it as fun as they were able to collaborate with JV and get some wins under varsity’s belt.

The girls first game was a huge win as they won 16-7 against Zeeland. Their second game was against Jenison. Although they lost 10-5, they were able to close the gap better than in the game on Thursday. The last game was against Grandville and they won 9-5. Winning those two games meant a lot to the girls.

”The game against Jenison was a little rougher than we thought but [it was] better than Thursday,” junior Kelsey Pattinson said.

As the team lost seven seniors last year, the team is full of underclassmen and newer players. The team has to rebuild the team chemistry so on the way to get there, the girls will make silly mistakes. Most players are still out of shape since it’s early in the season; however, Pattinson said, “We’re definitely improving as a team as the season goes on.”

All the teams they played were well-matched up with FH water polo. In the end, it was a successful tournament and it boosted the team’s morale; even though they lost to Jenison.

The team’s next game is Tuesday, March 28, away against Grandville at 7:00 P.M. Be sure to make it out there to watch the Rangers repeat history and beat the Bulldogs once again. The team is ready and knows what to expect from Grandville.