Collegiate Times

Club water polo vice president Braxton Vinson searches for a possible target during a team practice last season. The team must replace two first team all-conference selections from last year.

Virginia Tech's club water polo team is moving in a new direction.

In the past three years, the team has compiled a 34-2 record, including back-to-back undefeated seasons in 2006 and 2007. It also has two Atlantic Division titles and two appearances at the CWPA National Championships.

While the team has been successful in those years thanks to the individual talents of players like Rory Brannan and Chris Roil, both 2008 first team All-Conference selections, the team's focus is different this year.

With both Brannan and Roil gone, a more team-oriented philosophy is being implemented.

"We just have to transition from one or two people scoring all our goals, to having everyone on the team contribute," said Joe Dorsch, junior perimeter player and club president.

Last season, Brannan played the critical water polo position of hole set. The duties at hole set are comparable to a center's duties in basketball. The player "posts up" in front of the goal, waits for a pass and can then either work to shoot or pass it back outside.

Brannan dominated at the hole set position for Tech.

"He was a main guy, and we focused a lot of our offense around him," said Scott Wilson, sophomore perimeter player. "Now we'll have more of a circulating hole set."

With less reliance on Brannan and Roil, practices will be more disciplined and focused on improving the collective team play. Last year, focus during practice became an issue.

"We lost some seniors who in game time were our bigger scorers but in practice they were the guys who screwed around a lot," said Braxton Vinson, junior hole set and club vice president.

This year, according to Vinson, that problem isn't present.

"We've got more focus on conditioning and things like that," Vinson said of his 2009 team.

Dorsch agreed.

"Some of the older guys who were producing and grad students - they were sort of getting lazy," Dorsch said. "The team is a lot younger this year and so everyone is more willing to work hard."

Practices are now centered less on just scrimmaging and more on fundamentals. For newer players who may have a swimming background but have not played water polo, this is critical.

While water polo is increasing in popularity on the East Coast, it is still primarily a West Coast sport. Many players join the team with little to no experience. Often times, high schools on the East Coast don't offer water polo as a varsity sport. As a result, those interested don't have an opportunity to play.

"I think in the West it's just always been a big sport," Wilson said. "Funding is a big deal with water polo, and some schools just don't have the money."

"It's almost like there's this tight-knit community of water polo players up and down the East Coast," Vinson said.

To help players get used to playing the game, the team tries to spend at least a half an hour of practice working on passing drills, which allow players to improve on ball skills and general awareness.

"If you try hard in practice, you get the basics, you're learning and you're willing to learn, that's a big deal," Wilson said.

Despite the loss of some of the team's more talented veterans, Tech maintains the same goals as years past.

Continue Reading: 12 Next »