WVC celebrates its 2019 NorCal title with a traditional postgame dunking of coaches Erika Vargas and Michelle Taikeff.
Posted: Nov 17, 2019
It was, indeed, "Championship Saturday" for the West Valley women's water polo team, as the Vikings captured the CCCAA NorCal title and a berth in next weekend's Final Four at Golden West College. The program's first-ever regional championship was the result of a dominant two-day performance that saw Coach Erika Vargas's squad outscore opponents 42-12 in three games.
After opening with a 13-0 blanking of Modesto on Friday, the Vikings overwhelmed Diablo Valley 16-5 in Saturday's semifinal. Nadja Novakovic had a game-high six goals to lead the way, and Sierra Ceballos, Heather Gray and Maryam Khatoon each had a pair of scores. Coast Conference MVP Raquel de Pinho recorded 14 saves.
The Vikings knocked off defending state champion Sierra 13-7 in Saturday night's championship. Novakovic equaled Sierra's offensive output with seven goals, while Giovanna Valente Cardenuto found the back of the cage five times, and Melissa Hesselgrave scored once. De Pinho turned away 13 Wolverine shots.
The Vikings (24-6) head to the CCCAA Women's Water Polo Championship at the north's #1 seed. Sierra (19-7) is the north #2, while Fullerton (30-3) and Riverside (27-6) are the south's #1 and #2 seeds, respectively. West Valley opens with Riverside at 2:15 on Friday (11/22).