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The Jags’ 13-12 victory over the #2 team in the conference came at just the right time.

“In my time here I don’t remember ever beating them,” said coach Jorge Ortega.

After taking a 22-4 beating from Grossmont on Sept. 21, the team needed the pick-me-up win over Palomar.

“There’s no shame in losing to Grossmont,” said Ortega following SWC’s match with the #1 team in the conference.

Ortega said his small team lacks substitutes to spell starters.

In water polo that one-minute breather is huge, he said. “My guys know that. We just have to adjust. There are no excuses.”

Jags play Palomar again Oct. 24 and Ortega said the previous win will provide inspiration.

“They’ve had all this time to think about what happened,” he said. “That motivates our team.”

With 10 games left, Ortega said he hopes for victories over Saddleback and Mesa before the season finishes.

SWC’s women’s water polo team is facing a similar challenge loaded as it is with new players.

“This team does not have a lot of playing experience,” said women’s coach Jennifer Harper.  “It’s just a transition. But they are all committed.  They all want to achieve playing at a higher level.”

Despite the difficulties, the women are improving.

“We handle losses the best we can,” said driver Danielle Harrington. “I feel we just learn what we can from those games and use the new knowledge for the next game. As a team we do our best to not let the losses get to us, we just push forward and work even harder.”

A tournament hosted by Mesa College was a turning point for the team, said Harrington.

“During the Mesa tournament we really started to pull together as a team,” she said. “We had added a lot of new defenses and offenses, which seemed to work out really well. I feel this is the first tournament we really started to understand each other and how we each play.”

For Harrington, unity is a priority.

“I have high hopes for this team,” she said. “We have so many good players, we just lack experience playing with each other. We all come from different schools with different playing techniques and were just trying to mesh all of our styles into one team in a short period of time, but I believe we are getting there.”

Harper said that the team will come together with is time.

“They’re like a soup,” she said. “You throw it in a pot and get it to a simmer and get the flavors to blend.”

Harrington said she is upbeat about their chances.

“I believe at our Miramar tournament and the following tournaments, everyone will be seeing a new team,” she said. “We have been working very hard the past couple of weeks and have many new plays and defenses. I believe we are way stronger as a team than we were at the beginning of the season. We are ready to win.”