The Eastlake High School girls water polo team had a tough act to follow in recording a runner-up finish in this year’s Mesa League standings to eventual San Diego Section Division II and Southern California regional Division III champion Mar Vista.
But the Lady Titans did have one sister act that was hard to follow: siblings Karyed and Melinda Espinosa, daughters of head coach Edgard Espinosa.
The pair combined to score 136 goals and rack up 227 points while collecting 140 defensive steals during the just completed 2019-20 season.
Karyed, a senior, led Eastlake in season scoring with 82 goals and 35 assists for 137 points in 26 games while Melinda, a sophomore, finished second in team scoring with 90 points on 54 goals and 36 assists.
Melinda paced the team with 78 steals while Karyed was second with 62 steals.
Not surprisingly, both Espinosa sisters were honored as members of the all-league first team.
Mar Vista senior Melanie Clamp earned player of the year distinction after concluding nothing short of a magical season with 99 goals and 170 points.
Teammate Tatum Billings, a sophomore, finished second in league scoring with 161 points (first with 101 goals).
The Lady Mariners finished their double gold playoff run with a final 29-5 record that included a perfect 10-0 league record.
Eastlake (14-13 overall) finished 7-3 in league play, with two losses to Mar Vista, while fielding an underclassmen-heavy team.
Karyed Espinosa finished third in league scoring with 137 points, followed by Bonita Vista senior Megan Slovatizki with 131 points (99 goals, 32 assists). Mar Vista junior Kayla Quinones ranked fifth on the Mesa League leader board with 108 points (52 goals, 56 assists).
Melinda Espinosa ranked sixth in the league with 90 points, followed by Bonita Vista senior Aryel Austin with 73 points (33 goals, 40 assists).
Clamp, Karyed Espinosa, Slovatizki, Billings, Quinones and Melina Espinosa all earned recognition on the all-league first team while Austin was named to the second team.
Other all-league first team honorees include Mar Vista’s Summer Chalmers, Annie Dickson and Abbey Harbin along with Eastlake’s Brenna Pangelinan.
Dickson tallied 35 goals and 65 points while Chalmers chalked up 40 goals and 62 points. Pangelinan racked up 26 goals and 60 points to finish third in team scoring.
Harbin averaged 10 saves per game as the Lady Mariners’ goalie.
Mar Vista garnered six of the 10 first-team selections.
All in the family
Both Espinosa sisters started playing club water polo for coach Page Small — Melinda at 8 and Karyed at 10 — before making the transition to the Southern Water Polo Club in 2014.
Karyed, who plans to attend San Diego State University, has played at the 14U and 16U levels for Southern since she was 12 and is a three-year USA Water Polo Junior Olympic qualifier.
A four-year letter-winner at Eastlake, she earned honors as the team’s Most Valuable Player this season after receiving honors as the team’s offensive player of the year her sophomore and junior years.
Melinda has played for Southern since she was 10 at the 14U and 16U levels.
A two-year varsity letter-winner at EHS, she is also a three-year USA Water Polo Junior Olympic qualifier.
As a sophomore, she earned recognition as the Lady Titans’ offensive player of the year.
They have set the bar high.
“I have seen how hard they have worked, and it fills me with pride to see how their game has developed,” the elder Espinosa said in regard to coaching his daughters on the team.
“They give everything to the team, they know that the team is first, they understand how to build a program, not just win a game. They know that individual stats don’t count when the program’s goal is to be developed in the long term.”
GIRLS WATER POLO ALL-LEAGUE TEAMS
Mesa League
First Team
Melanie Clamp (Mar Vista)
Karyed Espinosa (Eastlake)
Megan Slovatizki (Bonita Vista)
Tatum Billings (Mar Vista)
Summer Chalmers (Mar Vista)
Kayla Quinones (Mar Vista)
Brenna Pangelinan (Eastlake)
Melinda Espinosa (Eastlake)
Annie Dickson (Mar Vista)
Abbey Harbin (Mar Vista)
Second Team
Aryel Austin (Bonita Vista)
Nayelli Rodriguez (Bonita Vista)
Unique Plata (Bonita Vista)
Natalia Rosales (Bonita Vista)
Jesa Miclat (Eastlake)
Danielle Rivas (Eastlake)
Maegan Ruane (Eastlake)
Illiana Lopez (Mar Vista)
Nicole Balvaneda (Otay Ranch)
Anna Cetnar (Mater Dei Catholic)
Player of the Year
Melanie Clamp (Mar Vista)
Championship Team
Mar Vista High School
South Bay League
First Team
Kelly Villanueva (San Ysidro)
Gitzel Herrera (Chula Vista)
Tabitha Buder (Chula Vista)
Claudia Fernanda Garcia (San Ysidro)
Kalana Penetrante (Olympian)
Roxy Vazquez (Southwest)
Arlyssa Hernandez (Castle Park)
Mariel Origel (Southwest)
Dania Alvarez (San Ysidro)
Natalie Ramirez (Chula Vista)
Second Team
Brianna Jean (Montgomery)
Jasmine Nones (Castle Park)
Reika Nomura (Olympian)
Jewell Reyes (Olympian)
Kassandra Castro (San Ysidro)
Jennifer Espinoza (San Ysidro)
Xcaret Avalos (Chula Vista)
Jennifer Quevado (Sweetwater)
Rachelle Lara (Olympian)
Abigail Diaz (Castle Park)
Player of the Year
Kelly Villanueva (San Ysidro)
Championship Team
San Ysidro High School
METRO CONFERENCE STANDINGS
Mesa League
(League/Overall)
Mar Vista 10-0, 29-5
Eastlake 7-3, 14-13
Bonita Vista 6-4, 16-12
Mater Dei Catholic 4-6, 11-12
Otay Ranch 2-8, 8-18
Hilltop 1-9, 8-15
South Bay League
(League/Overall)
San Ysidro 12-0, 19-5
Chula Vista 10-2, 13-8
Olympian 8-4, 11-16
Southwest 6-6, 7-8
Castle Park 3-9, 7-16
Montgomery 3-9, 3-12
Sweetwater 0-12, 0-15
San Diego Section Playoffs
Division II
First round
(9) Patrick Henry 5, (8) Bonita Vista 4
(12) Classical Academy 10, (5) Eastlake 2
Quarterfinals
(1) Mar Vista 8, (9) Patrick Henry 7 (OT)
Semifinals
(1) Mar Vista 10, (12) Classical Academy 6
Championship
(1) Mar Vista 10, (6) La Costa Canyon 9
Division III
First round
(8) Otay Ranch 8, (9) Serra 7
(10) Oceanside, (7) Chula Vista 3
(6) Escondido 11, (11) Hilltop 4
Quarterfinals
(1) Monte Vista 14, (8) Otay Ranch 8
(3) San Ysidro 15, (6) Escondido 6
Semifinals
(2) Santa Fe Christian 7, (3) San Ysidro 6
