Oaks Christian, the defending Southern Section Open Division champion in girls water polo, showed with an 11-7 win over previously unbeaten Mater Dei last week that it remains among the top teams in the Southland.
The Lions (10-1) are one of the top four teams capable of winning the title, along with Mater Dei, Orange Lutheran and Newport Harbor.
“Four teams are capable of beating anybody at any time,” coach Jack Kocur said.
The Lions’ only loss was to Newport Harbour, who they also beat. they are ranked No. 1 in the most recent Southern Section rankings.
Under Kocur, the Lions have five players committed to the college ranks: Alex Stoddard (Princeton), Mia Fabros (Stanford), Nicole O’Neill (USC), Maryam Maamoun (Brown) and Aaliyah Kim (Hawaii).
There’s also junior standout Makena Bygrave, who scored four goals against Mater Dei and is considered one of the top players in the class of 2027.
Santa Barbara High is hosting a big girls water polo tournament this weekend.
This is a daily look at positive events in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
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