Photo gallery: Bishop’s School defeats La Jolla High in girls water polo rematch; playoffs next

The Bishop’s School girls water polo team completed a season sweep of local rival La Jolla High School with a dominating 17-3 victory Feb. 2 in the Bishop’s pool.

In the teams’ first matchup, the Knights defeated the Vikings, 15-3, on Jan. 5 at La Jolla High.

Bishop’s coach Doug Peabody said this week’s win came from “stifling” defense and the fact that his players were fresh off a tournament featuring some of Southern California’s best teams.

“We beat two Orange County powerhouses and the girls completely understood what we were supposed to be doing when we play games,” Peabody said. “So coming back and playing La Jolla — which had not been playing those teams — we were at a completely different level.”

With consistent scoring throughout the four quarters, the Knights were able to use all of their players during the match.

They not only helped their team win, they provided a valuable lesson for the opponent.

“We have a young team of juniors, sophomores … and we didn’t play the best we could, but that can happen when you are playing such a dominating program,” La Jolla coach Amy Jennings said. “They can expose our flaws, but that’s a good thing for a young team. It shows us where we can improve and shows them what is possible. It takes time and commitment, but it’s possible.”

The match was during Bishop’s Senior Night, so the Knights’ oldest team members were extra fired up.

“Based on the senior leadership we have, the team is going to be laser-focused going into the post[season],” Peabody said. “They know if they slip up, they are going to be in trouble, so they are focused on the task at hand and aren’t going to take their foot off the gas.”

The CIF San Diego Section Open Division playoffs start Wednesday, Feb. 8. Top-seeded Bishop’s, which won the Western League and is the four-time defending Open Division champion, will play eighth-seeded Rancho Bernardo at 4 p.m. at the Coggan Family Aquatic Complex on the campus of La Jolla High at 800 Nautilus St.

No. 6 La Jolla will play No. 3 Clairemont at 6:30 p.m. at the same site.

The semifinals are scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 14, and the final on Saturday, Feb. 18, all at the Coggan pool. ◆