Water polo brings aquatic intensity

At N.C. State, we aren't as familiar with water polo as we are with barbecue,  football or Tobacco Road basketball. The Wolfpack club water polo team is out to show just how exciting the game is and how talented and tough the people who play it really are.

For those who are not familiar with the sport, it is very similar to an aquatic version of handball. For the even greater majority who has never even heard of handball, water polo is a game where players pass around a ball that is roughly the size of a volleyball, trying to throw it in the opposing team's goal-- all without being allowed to touch the bottom of the pool.

Kevin Rollinson, a sophomore in business administration who plays on the team, feels it is a very exciting and unique sport.

Rollinson has played water polo since he was in middle school. "Something is always going on, no game has a dull moment," he said. "It's like basketball in that regard, but then you add so many more aspects; it's pretty much a combination of basketball, soccer, volleyball, swimming, hockey, chess and wrestling. That's what I love about it."

State's team played in seven games in last semester's equivalent of conference play, according to junior in meteorology David Hurley. For the ongoing semester, he wants to focus on improving the team by building roster depth.

Hurley hopes the team will have the perfect opportunity to test their mettle at the UNC invitational tournament, where he hopes the team will come away with a positive record.

Jensen Sales, a junior in wood products, felt playing at the UNC invitational tournament this spring would be a good way to test how far the team had come this season.

"It's one of the best tournaments I've gotten a chance to play in," Sales said. "We'll get to learn a lot from it."

The UNC invitational will take place over Easter weekend and will feature about 20 teams. The Pack is guaranteed to play in four games and will be in a round-robin format tournament after that.

Some of the key members looking to make a big impact are seniors Kael Schlactus and Kamau Brown, who were the top scorers for the team in conference play during the fall.  Graduate student Jerry "Gumby" O'Connor will also be one of the key players responsible for determining the Pack's success, according to Hurley.

Despite the co-ed team having 25 total members, Sales said they are always looking for new people to join, as long as they have the motivation and determination to compete.

 "We can teach anyone how to play water polo if they have swimming experience," Sales said.

This invitation should be seen as both a welcome and a challenge to even the most eager athletes on campus, because when asked to describe their sport in one word, Hurley, Sales, and Rollinson chose "chaotic," "demanding," and "intense," respectively.

Wolfpack club water polo meets twice a week for two hours during the spring semester, spending time conditioning, working on drills, and shooting on goal or scrimmaging in the pool towards the end of practice. They also frequently scrimmage UNC-Chapel Hill's team, as well as the Triangle Water Polo Club.