By Isabella Dandoy – (@DandoyIsabella) – Spear Reporter
SJSU (12-13 overall, 0-1 MPSF) women’s water polo wrapped up its two-game homestand with another loss. They succumbed to Fresno State (13-7 overall) in a 7-6 defeat.
The team struggled on both sides of the ball. SJSU went 0/8 on powerplay conversions. Additionally, the Spartans went 0/4 on sprints, rendering them unable to gain an upper hand on the Bulldogs at the beginning of each period.
However, graduate student goalie Hannah Henry led the defensive charge with 11 blocks. She averaged 61.1 percent on saves and even amassed one assist and one steal for the team.
Despite having such a narrow score, the Spartans had fewer goal opportunities on their side. SJSU had six fewer attempts than Fresno State.
The main reason was their inability to protect the ball. While the team shined on blocks, they suffered in steals and had their ball stolen 10 times by the opposition.
SJSU went scoreless in the third quarter, whereas Fresno State scored three goals, giving them the offensive advantage. Freshman Sinia Plotz, fifth-year Kylee Jansen, sophomore Lucy Miszeweski, sophomore Lauren Wooley, senior Lior Ben David, and senior Bailey Stubblefield all got on the board, scoring one goal apiece.
Sophomore Maiken Pardon, who scored two goals last weekend, was unable to score on offense. Her goals were undoubtedly missed today as she led the team in turnovers, owning three out of the team’s six.
Both Fresno State and UCLA are tougher opponents, but the close score today showed the true fierceness and competitiveness of the team.
SJSU women’s water polo will get back on the road to play USC (20-1 overall, 2-0 MPSF), making this their second division game of the season. USC, a dynamic team, is coming off of an eight-game winning streak. SJSU will face USC in Los Angeles, Calif., on April 1 at 3 p.m.