Jessica Ball

Steve Virgen

People used to call her, “Little Ball,” but now they just call her

Ball, as in Jessica Ball, the unquestioned leader of the Newport

Harbor High girls water polo team.

After her performance last week, Ball, who was known as Erin

Ball’s younger sister, could probably take on a different moniker --

Big-game Ball.

“When I was a freshman and [Erin] was a senior, I was known as

‘Little Ball’” Jessica Ball said. “That was a little hard. But, in

many more ways it was a blessing. She is definitely a great older

sister and she was great to have around. It took me awhile to grow

out of the little-Ball syndrome, but it actually turned out OK.”

Ball, who is a senior co-captain for the Sailors, was anything but

a little Ball, as she helped lead the Sailors to a 10-9 overtime

victory over Foothill, ending the Knights’ 49-game winning streak

Jan. 14. Ball called it her best athletic moment, especially since it

was a team win, she said.

She mainly defended Foothill standout Jillian Kraus, who was held

to two goals. Ball also had two goals in that victory. Yet, when

Newport faced the Knights in a semifinal of the Santa Barbara

Tournament of Champions Saturday, Ball went on the offensive. She

scored six goals and delivered two assists, leading the Sailors to a

9-5 victory over their nemesis.

The Sailors finished second in the tourney last weekend, and Ball

earned all-tournament team honors, thus leading to Daily Pilot

Athlete of the Week recognition.

Though she had a hand in eight of Newport’s nine goals against

Foothill, Ball gave her teammates credit for her brilliant

performance.

“Our team played very well,” Ball said in regard to what led to

her six-goal, two-assist game. “We did what the coach told us to do.

That opened opportunities for me. People drove and that opened up the

passes and gave me opportunities to score. One of my goals was a

four-meter [penalty shot] that Carolyn Conway drew.”

Ball, a co-captain along with Sarah Mutt, has been stressing

unity, one of the themes the team has taken on this year. At the

beginning of the season, Newport Coach Bill Barnett called his team a

diverse group and said team chemistry would be key. Ball has been one

of the leaders, definitely the vocal leader, of bringing the Sailors

together.

“She is our leader,” said Barnett, who admires the senior’s

tenacity and intelligence. “She’s very aggressive. She may not be as

big as [Conway and Ashling Taylor], but she’s extremely quick and

learns how to pick out mismatches.”

Ball said her ability to become a leader for the Sailors came from

learning from her sister who was the team captain in her senior year

as well.

“It never occurred to me that I had to live up to filling her

shoes,” said Ball, who earned second-team All-CIF Southern Section

Division I laurels last year. “It was hard for me to live up to her

as a captain. I looked up to her as a role model, as a captain. I

think that was a bigger spot to fill more than playing ability.”

Next year, Jessica will join Erin at the University of Michigan,

where her older sister is currently a junior. Jessica Ball will be

playing water polo for the Wolverines and said one of the reasons she

chose Michigan was so that Erin could help her ease into the college

life.

Earlier this month, the two sisters went to the Rose Bowl to watch

Michigan take on USC.