Coaches: Riley Godfrey (head coach), Natalie McIlveen (assistant coach), Keith Nighswonger (assistant coach).
Top Returners: Cayenne Bagnol (12), Audrey Bogard (12), Mia Hernandez (11), Lauren Jacobsen (11), Jessica Luna (12), Willow Morrell (11), Abby Reekstin (11), Hailey Yoo (11)
Top Newcomers: Kiane Hatori (10), Kieran Kirkwood (12), Kate Liccardo (10), Madeline Ramirez (10)
Last Season: For a seventh consecutive year, the Lady Lancers (25-8 overall) remained undefeated in Freeway League play at 8-0. They also became the last team to win a Freeway League title as the conference has since been disbanded because of releaguing this season. The team, however, fell short in the CIF finals, losing 11-8 against Alta Loma High School.
Outlook: After 24 years of guiding the Lady Lancers, Nighswonger decided to step aside, but remains on the coaching staff as an assistant during games, toward the end of this summer. He promoted one of his former players from the Class of 2021 to lead the team.
“I am way beyond needing to be in the spotlight,” he said. “We have had many talented former players come back to coach with us, and in my mind, you promote talent and provide them with the support they need to be successful.”
Godfrey, who has worked as the assistant coach for the 2021-2022 and 2023-2024 seasons, said Nighswonger brought up the idea of her taking a bigger role in the program. The two tried a “co-coaching model” to bring out the strengths of each coach.
Although Nighswonger is officially the assistant coach for games, he said he still takes the role of a head coach during practice alongside Godfrey.
The new head coach said she has been working with the team to install a dynamic defense that causes more movement.
“We’re going to play a full and strong defense everywhere while focusing on helping our set defenders so that we’re able to get a front-on set,” the former set defender said. “We’re working around to ensure that we’re protecting a lot of our defenders.”
During the off-season, the new head coach said the team prepared a full-press defense to protect the goal. However, after viewing the club season rules and noticing stricter changes every year with the officials becoming more sensitive to calling an exclusion, she decided to switch the strategy to a rather more flexible defense two weeks before the squad’s first game on Wednesday, Nov. 20, against Dana Hills.
Attacker Luna said she and her teammates are taking the changes in stride.
“This season will definitely be a challenge due to the many adjustments we have to make from personal to strategic changes,” she said. “I believe we will adjust and improve our team chemistry as the season goes by, and we will still be able to maintain a good record compared to the previous [years].”
Furthermore, utility player Morrell said she believes the change in head coach will not negatively affect the team’s performance.
“Coach Nighswonger stepping aside made me realize that no matter the coach, they have one thing in common: to bring you to your full potential,” Morrell said. “Riley had been assisting us for many years, so it wasn’t that big of a surprise that she would be head coach; I’m excited for Riley to step in more as she brought up new skill sets and different training styles.”
Meanwhile, Godfrey said she appreciates the support she gets from her players and her coaching staff.
“I’m very excited and grateful to have the opportunity to work with this team of extremely talented athletes alongside coach Nighswonger,” she said. “I don’t feel scared; I feel prepared and confident working with this team.”
Goalie Bogard said she has a positive mindset as well.
“I’m excited to see what she does for our team considering she has a very different teaching style compared to coach Nighswonger,” she said. “I’m curious to see how [much more] she can help us improve on both defense and offense.”
Instead of the disbanded Freeway League comprising schools in the same district as Sunny Hills, the girls water polo team will for the first time face competition from other campuses in the Crestview League, which is part of the Century Conference.
While La Habra (16-31 last season) will be a familiar foe since the Highlanders are also in the Fullerton Joint Union High School District, the Lady Lancers will face new programs ranging from Anaheim’s Canyon (20-6 last season) to Tustin’s Foothill (24-6 last season) and to Orange’s Villa Park (11-12 last season).
Nevertheless, Godfrey said she is not worried about keeping the Lady Lancers’ undefeated league-winning streak alive.
“It’s definitely going to be challenging because the schools we are going against are very strong opponents,” the head coach said. “I trust our girls, and as long as we do our best, I’m sure we can keep our streak.”
Utility player Yoo agrees.
“I’m excited to go against new teams in our league, and I am really confident in our team because we all have that winning mentality,” she said.
Luna said her goal in her last year on the team is to help out her teammates.
“Being a senior, my goal is to be able to set the best example for my teammates, bettering myself as a student-athlete, and to be there for my teammates when they need me, whether it’s in games or outside of the pool,” she said.
So despite the changes going into this school year, Godfrey said the one mainstay besides staying undefeated in league play is qualifying and advancing in CIF playoffs.
And so far in non-league play, the Lady Lancers are headed in the right direction, winning their first game 11-4 against Dana Hills High School on Wednesday, Nov. 20, and placing second in the Garden Grove Varsity Tournament from Friday-Saturday, Nov. 22-23.
“We’re starting off strong this year, and I’m really excited for our league season,” Godfrey said. “I have no doubt in our girls and our strategies, and I hope we stay consistent with everything.”
The team will play its first league game at home against Foothill on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.
