Lovett Water Polo Wins GWPL 18u B-Divison State Championship

The Lovett Water Polo team captured the Georgia Water Polo League (GWPL) B-Division State Championship with a 14–12 win over Wildcats Water Polo Club. The team was led by top goal scorers, Brooks ‘27, Vane ‘26, and William ‘26, finishing with a 12-2 season record.

The GWPL is composed of school teams along with larger, year-round club teams that draw their rosters from an entire school district rather than just one school, like the Lovett Water Polo team.

Water Polo Head Coach Jennifer King talked about the competitive nature of the GWPL saying, “The level of competition was intense. For a small school to compete against teams comprised of players from an entire district makes for a challenging season.”

The water polo team concluded the season with a 10-2 regular season record, led by eight seniors who had been members of the team since middle school. 

King spoke highly of her senior class saying, “Their seasoned experience was critical in our championship win. Not only because of their advanced skill level, but also their leadership in bringing everyone together.”

Because of their success in the regular season, the team received a first-round bye in the state tournament. In the semifinal matchup, Vikings Water Polo club, the Lions won by a score of 13-6. The game was highlighted by seven different players scoring for Lovett. 

The Lions then went on to face Wildcat Water Polo Club who had beaten the Lions twice in the regular season. Throughout the first three quarters of the game the Lions and Wildcats were within one point of each other going back and forth. However, the Lions pulled ahead in the fourth quarter winning by a final score of 14-12.

Vane led the Lions with 11 goals in the final while William also picked up the three goals to secure the Water Polo state championship. Goalkeeper Ford ‘26 was also instrumental in the match making crucial saves throughout the final. 

For their performances, many members of the team earned GWPL 18U B Division honors. William and Vane were named the Most Valuable Player and Best Offensive Player respectively. William and Vane were joined by Andrew '26 as part of the 18U B Division First Team. Ford and Brooks '27 were both named to the 18U B Division Second Team.

Holmes reflected on the honor of being named the 18U B Division’s Most Valuable Player, saying “I want to give it to my team, they were a big factor in winning that award. The way we worked together as a team gave me the opportunity to succeed.”