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Joseph Edgecomb / The Collegian

The women’s water polo club team swam away last season with first place in the National Collegiate Club Championship held in Massachusetts and now the girls are prepared to defend that title.

“They are the defending champions and to my knowledge no club team has won nationals two years in a row. It’s very difficult to do,” Brian Tsukimura, the team’s adviser said. “But they are practicing hard in the freezing cold two nights a week and seem determined.”

The team, which is part of the Sierra Pacific Division, has been practicing this past month in preparation to play UC Davis and CSU Maritime Academy at the first tournament on Feb. 23 and 24.

“Last year we beat UC Davis by one point and rumor is that their team has picked up a couple good new players,” said Jacque Ritchie, the women’s water polo club president. “[They have] been practicing since September because they really want to win regionals and go to nationals this year.”

Joseph Edgecomb / The Collegian

While the Fresno State team may not have started practicing until early last month, they have the stamina and determination to rise again.

As a club team, they work not only in the water, but out of the water to raise funds needed for travel expenses. The amount needed doubles if they go on to nationals, which are held in Oregon this year.

“We get some money from ASI for safety equipment and events held on campus,” Ritchie said. “We also have sponsors, but most of the extra money for hotels, plane tickets, busses, other travel expenses, our uniforms and for renting the pool at Clovis West are fundraised.”

Tsukimura added that each player has to pay dues to be on the team, which amount to $400.

“I played water polo in high school and it naturally became the center of my life,” freshman Ashlee McNeil said. “When I got to Fresno State, I joined the club because I could not imagine not playing.”

Many other girls on the team expressed similar feelings.

“We want the prove to Fresno State, which has no fully-funded water polo team on campus, that we can have a real team and that we are serious and legit,” sophomore Erika Tasier said.

Based on last season’s success, the team of 12 is serious, but every new season brings new challenges.

“Every year is a different year,” coach Fabrizio Lafaro said. “This year there are five returning members to the team and the rest are new, so the structure of the team is different and the same thing is happening with the competition teams, so we really won’t get a feel for how well we’re doing until the first tournament.”

However, the team is enthusiastic that they have the power to go the distance this season.

“Water polo is an intense, aggressive, action-packed sport,” junior Ashley Prosen said. “Broken noses, fingers and ribs are common, and this season our team is going to bring everything we’ve got to regionals and play hard to get to nationals.”