Women’s water polo begins season with new head coach
PHOTO: Coach Aria Lindsay watches game against Granite Bay on Sept. 15 from the sideline.
By Sean Campbell
BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–
Aria Lindsay took over the varsity women’s water polo head coaching job this fall following two successful seasons as the JV coach. She replaced longtime head coach Doug Wright, who retired following last season’s section championship.
Before coaching at Davis High, Lindsay was a player. In her last season, Lindsay’s club team at UC Davis won a national championship. Her 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. Lindsay is an agriculture teacher at DHS. “Teaching here at Davis High gave me that opportunity.”
The transition was not perfect. “(Doug) 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,” she 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 has 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 Jamey Wright who was previously the women’s water polo coach at UC Davis. Jamey Wright is also the older brother of Doug Wright. “(Jamey) Wright is a mastermind when it comes to water polo strategy,” Lindsay said.
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.”
