College women’s water polo: Anteaters aim to come out shooting

Amara Aguilar

After getting their feet wet during last year’s inaugural women’s

water polo season, the Anteaters of UC Irvine are ready to dive head

first into a new year with a different set of goals.

UCI finished a dismal 3-31 in its first year of competition, but Coach

Julie Swail hopes to raise the bar this time around. She wants her team

to come out shooting, literally.

“We learned a lot last year,” Swail said. “If you look at our stats,

more shots were taken toward the end of the game. We came out intimidated

at the beginning of the game. We learned that we have to come out

shooting from the beginning. It definitely hurt us that we were playing

catch-up all of the time.”

Swail will look to second-year players Erica Horman and Melissa

Fernandez to lead the Anteaters offensively.

Horman led the team last year with 51 goals, followed by Fernandez

with 43.

Returning in the net for UCI is sophomore Sunceray Chamblee, who

averaged more than seven saves per game last year. Newcomer Jennifer Moon

out of Riverside Community College could also be a big contributer for

the Anteaters in the net. She helped Riverside make it to the state

finals last season.

“Sun is quick to come out of goal if she needs to and is good at

anticipating when a shot is going to come,” Swail said. “Moon is a leftie

who plays in the field and in goal. She and Sun are playing pretty evenly

right now. Jen has a terrific hangtime and great strength under water.”

Other key newcomers include freshmen Karly Tivenan and Tobi Lyman.

Tivenan was the Empire League Offensive Player of the Year as a junior

and senior at El Dorado High.

“Karly comes to us with confidence and a calmness that allows her to

play in very intense situations,” Swail said. “She’s a two-meter defender

that will add to our team with her speed and counter attack.”

Lyman was a second-team All-CIF selection during her last two years at

Peninsula High in Palos Verdes.

“She is very quick and very confident,” Swail said. “We are looking to

use her on the counter attack as well.”

Two more freshmen, Margaret Feeney and Aleah Amr are bright prospects.

“They are in the holding tank right now,” Swail said. “They are going

to be great. I don’t know if it’s going to be at the end of this year or

next year. (Margaret) comes with the fastest speed on our team. She has a

tremendous shot. Aleah also comes with great speed and is very eager to

learn the game.”

Swail is hoping the “experienced” players, with a year of Division I

competition behind them, will help lead the newcomers.

The team has 10 returners out of 26 players on the roster.

“The returners from last year bring a year of playing experience at

the highest level,” Swail said. “They have a confidence they did not have

last year and they know what to expect from more difficult teams.”

The Anteaters will face probably their toughest opponent of the year

in their season opener on the road against nationally top-ranked UCLA

today at 4 p.m. The Bruins are the defending national champions.

“We are excited about it,” Swail said. “This team is made up of a

bunch of go-getters. They look at it as an opportunity to play against

the best team in the nation and learn from them.”

UCI women’s water polo roster

Sunceray Chamblee, So. goalie

Jennifer Moon, Jr. goalie

Jessica Isaacs, Fr. goalie

Michelle Rosheim, Fr. goalie

Lauren Volcan, So. utility

Michelle Carey, So. driver

Nerissa Reidenbaugh, Sr. driver

Margaret Feeney, Fr. driver

Aleah Amr, Fr. driver

Melissa Fernandez, So. utility

Erica Horman, So. utility

Tiffany Frish, So. driver

Kira Wong, Jr. utility

Jenny Chiavetta, Fr. two meters

Karly Tivenan, Fr. driver

Erika Ranes, So. utility

Justine Basom, Fr. driver

Tobi Lyman, Fr. driver

Tianna Johnson, Fr. driver

Rebecca Wedemeyer, So. driver

Amy Altomare, Fr. two meters

Melissa Hill, Fr. driver

Cameron Pearce, Fr. two-meters

Meghan O’Donnell, Jr. utility

Chelsea Culton, Fr. driver

Adelaide Perram, Fr. two meters

Coach: Julie Swail