The Northwood High Timberwolves have a point to prove.

Now that water polo has resumed after a yearlong hiatus due to the coronavirus, these champion girls are ready to reclaim their Pacific Coast League title.

“Our goal is to defend our league championship title,” says Northwood junior Sanjana Venkatesh, last year’s All-CIF goalkeeper. “We’ve all been working so hard, and to finally play after so much uncertainty is the best result we could ask for.”

At the beginning of the quarantine, it was hard to find anywhere to swim, so Venkatesh and a couple of teammates started practicing at her community pool. At the beginning of this school year, players put in a lot of swim practice, but they couldn’t pass or shoot on goalies.

“I’m excited to showcase the hard work we’ve put in,” Venkatesh says.

For the past six months, coach Kyle Kim-E has stressed patience, perseverance and resilience. “Although it took longer than we had hoped,” he says, “this feels like a big win.”