SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Austin College women's water polo team made history on Saturday as the 'Roos took the pool for the first time ever as a varsity program. The 'Roos dropped their first game 11-7 against Macalester, but bounced back and picked up the first victory in program history with a 9-6 win over Wittenberg.
In game one on the day, the 'Roos battled throughout against defending conference champion Macalester, trailing just 5-3 at halftime and 7-5 in the second half, but Macalester would pull away late. Lexi Wong led Austin College with three goals, and Brooke Le added two, including the first tally in program history. Valery Piachonkina had 12 blocks in the game.
Against Wittenberg, the 'Roos grabbed an early 2-0 lead before the Tigers fought back to square things up, but Austin College would take a 4-3 lead into halftime. The game remained tight into the second half before the 'Roos began to put some distance between themselves and the fellow first-year program, ultimately holding on to secure the 9-6 win. Madison Taylor led Austin College with three goals, and Wong added two more. Piachonkina was once again stellar in the net, making 11 saves.
Austin College is back in the pool on Sunday, taking on Carthage and Monmouth.