Newport prepares for Divison I title defense

After winning its third CIF Southern Section Division I title last year, Newport Harbor High girls’ water polo graduated many of its top scorers.

All that means, Coach Bill Barnett said, is that this year’s Sailors’ team will have to step up.

“They’re working very, very hard,” said Barnett, the former Olympic water polo coach who has been Newport’s coach since girls’ water polo’s CIF inception in 1996. “I give them credit for that. Hopefully, that’ll lead to some good things happening in the pool, in games.”

Sarah Roberts, Allyssa Peterson and Marisa Cottam are all returning starters from last year’s team, which went 27-4 and beat Montebello, 14-13, in the Division I title game.

All three players are seniors. Roberts, a team captain as a two-meter player, has already signed with the University of Michigan.

Peterson is a two-meter defender and Cottam a driver. All three returning starters will need to lead the team, Barnett said.

“They better, or we’re not going anywhere,” he said.

Barnett said that Roberts and Peterson combine with junior goalie Morgan Vickers to form a strong combination up the middle.

“Vickers is making great strides in goal, so that will help our defense,” Barnett said.

Mimi Bury and Jillian Chiapuzio are returning varsity players who now have a chance to step into a starting role as drivers. Barnett is also excited about junior Jessica Robinson, a left-hander who was on the frosh-soph team last season.

“Last year we didn’t have a left-hander [on varsity],” Barnett said. “That’s a big plus, especially in six-on-five situations. We have a lot of potential for scoring here, so hopefully they’ll gel. Cottam and Chiapuzio are both really good swimmers, which provides us with a lot of speed in the counterattack.”

Also contributing as seniors will be defenders Kelly Morrison and Katie Holly, and drivers Betsy Martin and Devon Shaw. Juniors who will contribute include both back-up goalies, Lauren Miner and Chelsea Datt, defenders Elizabeth Wheeler and Amanda Simons and drivers Kimmy Morrison and Adrienne Taylor.

Freshmen Kaleigh Gilchrist and Kathryn Klippert round out the squad.

Newport Harbor did lose a lot of firepower from last year’s team, including CIF Southern Section Division I player of the year Leah Robertson, who now attends Michigan.

Kally Lucas, now at USC, was also an All-CIF Division I selection last year for the Sailors, scoring seven goals in the Division I championship game. And two-meter player Calli Manderino was also a first-team All-CIF Division I pick who played for Cypress College this season.

Barnett said his goal this year is to be one the top four or five teams in Division I. The Tars are ranked No. 4 in the division in the CIF Southern Section preseason poll, behind Foothill, Montebello and Corona del Mar.

“If they come together and do well offensively, we have a chance to get in the top four or five,” Barnett said. “When you get there, who knows what will happen.”

The Sailors, who went 5-0 as Sea View League champions last year, are now in the Sunset League with Edison, Esperanza, Fountain Valley, Los Alamitos and Marina.

Only Los Alamitos (No. 7) is ranked in the Division I preseason poll.

“I think it’s going to be more balanced than last year in the Sea View League,” said Barnett, whose team had to contend with Foothill in league last year. “We’ll have more hard games. Los Al will be good, but having Foothill in your league was a tremendous challenge.”

Newport Harbor will face that challenge today at 3:15 p.m. when the Sailors play host to Foothill in their regular-season opener.