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Colorado State University Athletics
Water polo hopes to build on last season's improvements
1/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
Jan. 19, 2010
by Zach Balside
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - For a young athletic program, getting to the top of its sport can be like climbing a mountain. This year, the Colorado State water polo team thinks that it can reach the peak.
The Rams are hoping to build off of their most successful season in the six-year history of the program. CSU finished last season an impressive 11-7 in the Western Water Polo Association and 16-17 overall.
"People are starting to recognize that CSU has a good program," coach Mike Moody said. "Our program here is creating a great culture that is designed to win."
One main reason to believe that the Rams can best last year's record-setting performance is the loss of only one graduated senior. Emily Chambers, who earned second-team all-tournament honors during the WWPA postseason, graduated but every other starter returns.
This group of players includes senior goaltender Krystyna McCright, who made the honorable mention all-WWPA team last season. She has started in goal for three seasons and holds the record for saves in a career for CSU.
McCright isn't the only senior hoping to make a big impact for the Rams this season. Sarah Ostling looks to shake things up on the inside at center. Defender Kailin Custy will add her experience to a strong defensive corps and Katy Armstrong's intelligence in the pool should be valuable.
Younger players are also hoping to continue to step up for the Rams this coming season.
Ali Pavlik, who garnered second-team all-WWPA honors last season, scored 64 goals last year, good for the third-highest single-season total in school history. Heading into just her junior year, Pavlik looks to only improve on that number.
Sophomore Kallie Berry, who just one year ago made the WWPA all-freshman team by scoring 41 goals, should contribute at a high level once again. Berry showed that she could score in bunches last season, including a six-goal outburst against Chapman in the opening round of the WWPA tournament.
Other team members that look to contribute include juniors Orsi Nadasdy, goalie Kayley Provow and junior Shannon Kohl, who missed last season with a shoulder injury.
An impressive set of new players also joins the squad this season. Natalie Berge, a junior college transfer, and freshman Caroline Young are just a couple of the impressive new recruits joining the team.
"We have a great freshman class that will add depth," Moody said.
The team realizes that it has the potential to reach the peak of its conference and garner some national attention.
"We have goals and I think it will be a fun and exciting year," Moody said.
But the Rams also see that the program is still young and has room to grow.
"It's about building a program," Moody said. "It doesn't just happen in one season."
The Rams start their season at the Michigan Kickoff Tournament. CSU hopes to improve upon its performance in this event last year, when the Rams finished the weekend 0-4.
On Valentine's Day weekend, the Rams will head out to Bakersfield, Calif., at Cal State Bakersfield's tournament, and then will head all the way out east to Princeton, N.J., for the Princeton Invite.
CSU then has a couple weeks to rest before heading back out to California to play Long Beach State March 13 and then both Cal Baptist and Marist in Riverside, Calif., on March 15.
Just four days after visiting Riverside, the Rams will go to Los Angeles, Calif., for the Loyola Marymount Invitational. The Rams will play two conference teams in Chapman and Sonoma State, as well as matches against Pomona-Pitzer and San Diego State, who finished last season ranked eighth in the country.
On April 10 and 11, CSU will play in the Santa Clara Tournament to round out the regular season. The WWPA tournament is scheduled for April 30 through May 2 in Bakersfield, Calif.
