Girls water polo: Scouting Lake County
LIBERTYVILLE
Coach: Tracy Balla
Returning players: Maddie Bollinger (Sr. goalie), Sara Clark (Sr. 2 meter set), Lily Marcus (Jr. driver), Jess Lanty (Jr. driver)
Newcomers: Emma Nagel (Sr. 2 meter defender), Grace Hurley (Jr. wing), Hayden Marth (So. wing)
Season outlook: Libertyville started off the season on the right foot with a win at Deerfield in Tracy Balla's debut as head coach. The Wildcats went 13-16 last season. Senior Sara Clark and junior Lily Marcus have both played on varsity the last couple of years. "Any time there is a coaching change there is going to be a period of adjustment, but the girls are adapting well to the changing expectations and are working hard to improve the fundamental skills of the game," said Balla, who replaces Chris Crawford. "This is a team with a lot of potential. Right now we are working on plugging girls into the spots where they will be most effective. We are looking forward to a great season."
MUNDELEIN
Coach: Alice Denny
Returning players: Abbie Lukas (So. driver), Lucy Renz (Jr. driver), Jahnvi Modi (Sr. defender), Gabby Potillo (Sr. goalie), Jessica Peterson (Jr. utility), Carolyn Westgate (So. driver)
Newcomers: Ella Krauss (Fr. utility), Bryce Pauly (So. driver), Josselin Rodriguez (Jr. utility)
Season outlook: The Mustangs went only 9-20 last season in coach Alice Denny's first season and look to turn things around. The veterans include senior defender Jahnvi Modi and junior driver Lucy Renz. "Although we are a fairly young team this year and graduated a large senior class last year, we have a lot of returning impact players and promising newcomers," said Denny, a former Mundelein star. "Our program is continuing to grow, and this year we hope to make it deeper into the postseason."
STEVENSON
Coach: Jeff Wimer
Returning players: Allison Travetto (Sr. utility), Lauren Burns (Sr. goalie), Claire Haas (So. utility), Eileen Hoang (So. driver), Tanya Shkiler (Sr. driver)
Newcomers: Fiona Gaffney (Jr. driver), Amelia Eastman (So. driver), Lauren Maloney (Fr. driver), Brigitte Lefebvre (So. goalie), Julia Nicholson (Jr. driver), Bella Greenspan (So. driver), Carolina Bohorquez (Sr. driver), Vicky Kolotov (So. driver), Holly Wegener (Sr. driver), Rachel Thomashow (Sr. driver)
Season outlook: Jeff Wimer coached Mundelein to three state championships in the 1990s and directed Stevenson to its first last spring. The Patriots went 36-0 and could be line for another big season, especially since they return Long Beach State-bound Allison Travetto, who piled up 168 goals and 57 assists in her third varsity season last year. Senior goalie Lauren Burns is in her third season on varsity. Claire Haas scored 51 goals as a freshman last year. "We return a very seasoned core group with lots of experience and confidence," Wimer said. "We have many new young players who are anxious to learn and be a part of the top core group." The Patriots will look to pick up where they left off. They graduated star Melissa Gartenberg (106 goals, 138 assists in 2015). "One game at a time," Wimer said. "We will grow and develop as our season progresses. We never want to overlook any game. We have a very tough schedule ahead of us."
VERNON HILLS
Coach: Jessica Glaeser
Season outlook: Jessica Glaeser, who played at Mundelein and Western Illinois, replaces longtime head coach Shona Moeller. Glaeser inherits senior Priscilla Yim, who has been an impact player since her freshman year. The Cougars went just 3-21 last season, suffering 5 losses by three or fewer goals.