DAILY PILOT HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE WEEK:

On other teams, it might cause infighting for a freshman to come in and immediately assert herself as the top goal scorer.

This is assuredly not the case for the Estancia High girls’ water polo team. The Eagles have welcomed freshman sensation Haley Kunert with open arms.

Kunert has maybe not been so polite with opposing goalies. The driver has torched them for a team-high 63 goals in the 12 games she’s played this season. The Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week, averaging 5.25 goals per game and has helped Estancia to a 10-4 start.

“It’s been fun,” Kunert said. “We’ve got a really good team this year. Everybody’s improved so much.”

Not even into their Orange Coast League schedule, the Eagles are already nearing their 12-win total of a season ago, and Kunert is a big part of the reason why.

“We knew she was going to have some talent,” first-year coach Jennifer Perry said. “I didn’t expect her to rack up goals this quickly, but everybody has welcomed it. I think, more than anything, the girls are really motivated by it.”

Motivation is never far away for Kunert herself during the games. Her older sister, Meagan, the team’s only senior starter, plays two-meter defense for the Eagles.

There’s no sibling rivalry. The Kunert sisters, who both also play for the Huntington Beach Water Polo Club, have a special bond in the pool. Haley said Meagan knows when to make a pass to her, and vice versa.

“She’ll know exactly when I want the ball and when I don’t,” Haley Kunert said. “It’s the twin sister thing going on, except we’re not twins.”

It’s part of a successful family legacy in water polo. Older brother Chad, who now attends UC Berkeley, was a first-team All-Golden West League and Daily Pilot Dream Team selection for the Estancia boys his senior year before graduating in 2006.

With her powerful shot, Haley Kunert is already starting her own legacy at Estancia. Six times this year she has scored five or more goals, including a career-high nine in a 19-3 win over La Quinta on Dec. 17.

“She’s a really aggressive player,” Perry said. “She’ll take the initiative. With our drop defense, we can get a steal inside, and Haley can recognize that and she’s already taking off down the pool. She gets the ball and she’s in a position to score.”

Her goal-scoring prowess has helped Estancia absorb some of the loss of program graduate Melissa Buchmann, the set standout who scored 101 goals last year. The Eagles also lost some scoring punch when senior Shea Kopp decided to not play water polo and focus on swimming this year.

But Haley Kunert is quick to recognize her teammates’ contributions. She said there was little pressure to take Buchmann’s role this year.

“Not really,” Haley Kunert said. “We’ve all scored and we all contribute to the team. I maybe know the game and the situations better, but everyone’s doing so well this year.”

Junior Amber Peters is making strides at two meters, while Meagan Kunert, a returning second-team All-Orange Coast League selection, excels on defense to start the counterattack.

“She knows the game really well, too,” Haley Kunert said of her sister. “Everyone looks to her. Set guarding is probably the hardest position, but she shuts them down most of the time.”

Since Meagan has been on the team, Haley Kunert also said she was already familiar with many of her teammates even before this year. Plus, freshman teammate Kylie Carpenter is one of Haley Kunert’s best friends.

“We’ve been friends since preschool,” Haley Kunert said.

Not surprisingly, and in the tradition of her two older siblings, Haley Kunert is also a standout swimmer. She has swam since she was 3, she said, for Splash Aquatics. This spring, Haley Kunert will likely swim freestyle and backstroke for Estancia— the same events as Kopp.

“I’ll have to fight Shea for those, even though she’ll probably beat me,” Haley Kunert said with a laugh.

Not all of her life is lived in the water. She said she likes reading and working on jigsaw puzzles, and she’s getting into painting.

But when she’s in the pool, watch out.

“She has a lot of enthusiasm for the sport,” Perry said. “She can do everything for us right now.”

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at matthew.szabo@latimes.com.