DAILY PILOT HIGH SCHOOL FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK:Murphy making most of her season in the sun

As Kate Murphy blocked one penalty shot, then another, then another, her teammates shouted words of encouragement.

The Corona del Mar High senior was doing this in the most important game of the year, so far. It was the championship game of the Holiday Cup on Saturday, against Back Bay rival Newport Harbor, and Murphy was on fire.

“I don’t know if I could have even touched any of those penalty shots if they wouldn’t have been there talking like that,” Murphy said. “It was definitely a team effort.”

The Sea Kings eventually won the game, 5-4, and Murphy, despite her modesty, was the shining star. But there are few players who have waited so long to get that chance.

During her freshman and sophomore years at CdM, there were only two goalies at the school: Murphy and Brittany Fullen. Fullen, now at UCLA, was the Pacific Coast League MVP in 2004 and 2005, helping the Sea Kings to CIF Southern Section Division II titles both years.

Murphy played on the CdM frosh-soph team both years. Early on, it was assumed that she would be the Sea Kings’ starting varsity goalie her junior year.

Enter Tumua Anae, who hadn’t played water polo for two years. A year ahead of Murphy, she decided to come back to the sport right before her junior year.

“Kate thought she was going to start when Brittany graduates, but then Tumua comes out and plays,” CdM Coach Aaron Chaney said. “It was a surprise to everybody. Eventually, Tumua kind of won the spot.”

Anae, now at USC, earned the top backup spot behind Fullen and then started all of 2005-06, helping the Sea Kings win another CIF Division II championship.

Murphy played junior varsity a lot of that season. She continued to wait, but she stayed sharp. She couldn’t let her older brother, Jacob, take all of the family’s water polo glory.

Jacob Murphy was the Pacific Coast League boys’ water polo MVP in 2005, scoring 88 goals. He now also attends UCLA.

“He’s one of my best friends,” Kate Murphy said. “Ever since we were little, we’ve been competitive and pushing each other. He’ll still shoot on me at the pool now and then. It’s a friendly competition that we can rub in each other’s face now and then.”

That competitive spirit has been alive all along, and she has continued to need it. Even on the CdM club team this past summer, Murphy shared time with sophomore Kate Baldoni.

The two continued splitting fairly even minutes until after the Sea Kings lost to Newport Harbor, 6-5, on Dec. 21. After that, Chaney said he decided on Murphy as the starter.

There was no “About time” remark from Murphy, who isn’t exactly the most vocal player.

She prefers to earn the position with her play in the water. And her patience continues to be rewarded, as Murphy has now made a verbal commitment to UC Santa Barbara, and plans to sign with the Gauchos in April.

She said one of the factors for choosing UCSB was that two former Sea Kings, Katlin Kubas and Chelsea Lyman, now play for the Gauchos.

Murphy remains loyal to her teammates, past and present.

“You have to prove yourself to have people believe in you,” Murphy said. “But it was good to know that [Chaney] had confidence in me, and that your teammates will be there for you. It’s nice to know your teammates will have your back.”

And why shouldn’t they after a performance like blocking three penalty shots? It was a performance that left CdM assistant coach Kyle Gorham trying to remember the last time he’d seen a goalie do that.

“She sat on the bench for three years,” Chaney said. “This is something she has waited for. For her to come out and have a game like that, it’s just payback for all the time she had to put in and watch other people play. That was huge.”

The admiration is returned from student-athlete to coach.

“I have so much respect for him, the way he trains us and prepares us,” Murphy said. “And he takes the time to know us as people, not just in the pool.”

As a person, Murphy remains humble. But don’t think it’ll be easy sneaking a five-meter penalty shot past her.

“She takes the job real seriously,” Chaney said. “She really wants it bad.”

After all, it took her three-plus years to get it.