Back-to-back championship title caps off LBCC’s women’s water polo dominant season 

LBCC women’s water polo continued to reign in the pool as back-to-back state champions following a win over Riverside College on Nov. 22 at UC Merced, a title bolstered by the team’s tenth SCC championship win in a row just a week prior.

The win wrapped up the team’s season with a 40-2 overall record to earn them the number one seed in the conference.

The two losses were to Biola University, 11-10, and CSU Northridge, 12-10 in non-conference matches. 

^{Vikings water polo players ,left to right, Jennifer Connelly, Shahar Rokach, Ada Fite Colino, pose with the state championship trophy after winning it back to back in season 2024-2025. Including this double LBCC has not won the state championship since 2006. (Jose Calix)}

“This is the largest roster that we’ve ever had considering there was 29 women, plus this is this the first time in our women’s water polo history of going undefeated against community colleges and winning our 10th consecutive conference title and our second consecutive state championship,” Chris Oeding, LBCC’s women’s water polo head coach, said.

The team put up 720 goals during the season,with the highest number of points scored per game being 23 in three separate games, one of which was against Ventura, who did not score any goals against the Vikings.

Vikings utility Audrey Bonelli spoke about the goals set for the season.

“Our main goals were winning the conference, regionals, and state. We reached those three goals,” Bonelli said. “The end goal was something big for us, and we were just glad that we reached it.”

The Vikings had one game where they scored fewer than ten goals, a 4-2 win against Santa Barbara, and had three shutouts against Ventura, Chaffey and Pasadena. 

^{Left to right, Viking goalkeepers Maya Jennings, Hailey Suttle,Sophia Santsche-Chavez, Olivia Birdsall and Marlene Isaacson celebrate their second consecutive victory of the state championship. (Kay Pham-Nguyen)}

Even though the Vikings are  no stranger to playoffs, the highlight of this year was the thought of being able to become back-to-back state champions.

The final game was played using the communication that they worked on throughout their time playing together and as well as those skills that they learned.

“I think playing together as a team is what sets things in tone for us this season, and just making sure that we put everything in the pool that we worked on in practice,” Vikings attacker Bella Perez said.

Vikings attackers Irene Pueyo Caballero and Mar Bernal scored a combined total of 141 goals of the 720  that were made.

^{Viking women’s water polo goalkeepers celebrate their second consecutive victory of the state championship, the team has not won the state championship since 2006. (Jose Calix)}

The state championship win was the perfect way for Bernal and 11 of her fellow sophomores to end their water polo career at LBCC.

LBCC women’s water polo will continue to work to maintain their dominance in the water.

“Keep on working, practice, train, and come out ten times harder next year,” Perez said.

The women’s water polo will return in the swim season, which starts in April 2026.

^{Left to right, goalkepers Maya Jennings, Hailey Suttle,Sophia Santsche-Chavez, Olivia Birdsall and Marlene Isaacson celebrate their second consecutive victory of the state championship. (Kay Pham-Nguyen)}