The varsity boys water polo team at Culver City High School had a strong season, ending with 15 wins and 12 losses. The team surpassed their record from last year with three times as many wins and had their first winning season since 2019, putting on display the hard work they put into the season.

“The team has shown a hunger to improve and give themselves a chance to make CIF,” said Nestor Dordoni, the head coach of the water polo team. “The lows have been bad, but they have helped create a hardworking culture.”

The team improved an incredible amount coming from last season, when they lost a disheartening 21 of their 26 games. During this 2023-2024 season, the team managed to not only win 15 games, but they also beat many of the teams they had previously lost to last year. A recent example was against Los Altos High, whom they were defeated by last year by a score of 5-18. This year, they defeated Los Altos High 9-8. And much of the success this season has come down to their work ethic, which has paid off for the team.

“A lot of the guys on our team are excellent swimmers and we see it in late games a lot,” team captain Natan Dei said. “Usually by the fourth quarter opposing teams are exhausted and we capitalize on that.”

The team has given themselves a chance to earn a spot in this year’s CIF playoffs, which are scheduled to begin on October 31, 2023.