The Rio Hondo women’s water polo team currently has an overall record of 5-9 and a South Coast Conference record of 2-4 after their 18-13 win over El Camino College Oct. 5.

Emily Mena was the Player of the Game against ECC that afternoon, scoring a total of 12 goals and 7 steals. Mena also drew eight exclusions including two penalty shots in the game.

Sabrina Miller also played her part in Rio’s win over ECC, getting four goals and five steals while Maree Carney added another two goals and three steals.

Emily Mena definitely captained her Rio Hondo squad to their first conference win of the season, after five losses in the SCC.

Water Polo was introduced to Rio Hondo in 1995, which was the first year the sport was sanctioned at the community college level.

Although playoffs won’t be announced until early November, Rio Hondo has already won State Championships in both 95’ and 96’ where current Head Coach Todd Lim was a part of the coaching staff.

Lim resigned as the Head Coach of the women’s water polo team in 2002 and only returned this year after the departure of former Head Coach Kristen Rich.

Lim has played water polo at the high school, collegiate, and Masters level for over twenty years, clearly a sport he is truly passionate about.

Not only does Lim coach the women’s water polo team at Rio Hondo, but he is also head coach of the women’s swim team and has previously coached at Santa Fe High School, La Serna High School, as well as Cardinal Water Polo.

When asked if prepared for the team’s upcoming tournaments, Lim said “Yes. We train 3 hours per day, that includes pool time and dryland conditioning. We’re a thin team so we need to be in great shape. We’ve also worked on tactical areas, including installations of new offenses and defenses.”

Lim definitely goes the extra mile in preparing his team for all the possibilities that may arise during intense gameplay that requires a lot of stamina.

Lim said, when asked if the team prefers to travel for away games or play at home, “Both.  Advantages of playing at home include support from the Rio Hondo community and highlighting our beautiful new aquatic center.”

The support of the Rio Hondo community as well as the friends and family of the athletes watching on definitely encourages them to perform better.

The Rio Hondo women’s water polo team will next play against TBA at Citrus College for yet another tournament Oct. 15.