Varsity women’s water polo team welcomes new coach

PHOTO: Varsity women’s water polo match

By Sean Campbell

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

Aria Lindsay takes over the varsity women’s water polo head coaching job following two successful seasons as the JV coach. She replaced longtime head coach Doug Wright, who retired following last season’s section championship.

After a national championship-winning season for UC Davis’ club team, Lindsay’s playing career was over, but her time with water polo was not. “I always knew I wanted to come back to water polo through coaching,” she said. “Teaching here at Davis High gave me that opportunity.”

The transition to Lindsay was not perfect. “Wright had been here longer than I have been alive so I mean there is always going to be challenges inheriting such a storied program, especially from someone who was such a legend at DHS,” Lindsay said. However, Lindsay said that the team is “adapting to change super well.”

Senior attacker Leila Meraz is excited to play under Lindsay. “She brings great energy, enthusiasm, and passion about the sport of water polo,” Meraz said. “She’s super organized and focused on continuing the success of DHS water polo.”

Meraz said that thanks to Lindsay’s passion for the game there have been “no problems at all” creating a new team culture. This has led to a hot start for the team going 2-2 in a competitive statewide tournament and winning their first league game against Franklin 25-2.

Lindsay attributes some of her success thus far to assistant coach Jaime Wright who she described as a “mastermind when it comes to water polo.”

Despite the coaching change, the team has continued to set a high bar for itself. “Our goals remain the same each year, to win a Sac Joaquin Section title,” Meraz said. 

Lindsay is just as confident in the team. “We are going to continue our history of being a really dominant water polo program,” she said. “We are taking it one game at a time, but our sights are ultimately set on that section championship and beyond.”