Boys Water Polo:

Last year, the boys water polo team was knocked out of CCS in the semifinals for only the second time in 15 years. This year, the Knights look to come back strong with the help of a refreshed team. After losing a total of 8 seniors, the team welcomes in 8 new varsity players and including 6 underclassmen. “The younger guys are still learning a lot about our team system, but they’ve shown that they can play at a varsity level,” senior co-captain Cameron Walker said. Furthermore after training together all summer, including a training trip to Coronado and State Championships in Orange County, the team said its largest advantage has been its unity. “We’ve built our team with a lot of trust and I think it shows,” said senior co-captain Alexander Carlisle. The team plays their first home game this Saturday against Soquel.

Cross Country:

Looking towards the Menlo cross country season, the team looks especially strong compared to previous years. After last year’s impressive season however, the Knights are looking to improve even more and work hard to achieve their goals. “[We] have got one of the strongest teams ever, on both varsity and JV levels; competition for the varsity spots this year was intense” senior Andrew Schmitt said. The team has it’s first meet Saturday September 8.

Football:

After a dominant opening game against Santa Cruz in which the Menlo School football team won 66-14, the Knights have high ambitions for the rest of the season. The team’s focus so far has been to maintain steady improvement throughout the season and hopefully be ready for CCS. And although maintaining a strong core from last season, the team still lacks depth. “We don’t have very much depth because we only have 32 players on the rooster. So our lack of numbers is definitely a weakness,” senior Connor Stastny said.  The Knights play their next game on Saturday, Sept. 8 at Mission SF.

Girls Golf:

The Menlo School girls golf team is prepares for another season and has high hopes to send as many players to CCS as possible. With strong returning veterans such as Virgina Girard and Caroline Broderick, the team has reason to set their goals high. The team plays their first match against Harker on Sept. 17 at Los Lagos.

Girls Tennis:

After a league championship and a solid CCS performance last season, the girls tennis team is looking to defy expectations and progress farther in CCS playoffs this year. The team is focusing on strengthening their doubles play, which will hopefully give them the skill set they need to make it to the CCS finals. So far, the team is 1-0 on the season, with a shutout against Burlingame. The team is looking to this weekend, when they will team travel to Fresno for the California High School Tennis Classic featuring the top teams in the state and tough local competition.

Girls Water Polo:

After the hire of head coach Fana Fuqua, the Menlo girls water polo team saw improvement last season but hopes to use this season to cement an even stronger dominance in their league. Led by senior captains Lindsay Montgomery, Alyssa Meyer, and Kaelen Dunn, the team feels that this year is unique from previous years’ mostly due to their unity in and out of the pool. “The girls on the team this year have more chemistry than I’ve ever seen out of all the years I’ve played water polo at Menlo,” Montgomery said. “We’re working really hard together on getting stronger, both physically and mentally.”

Volleyball:

The Menlo School Volleyball team looks towards this coming season with optimism after losing only one senior. With a lot of players with varsity experience, the knights are prepared for any challenge opponents throw at them. “ I think our goal for the team this season boils down to just being our absolute best. We’ve got a lot of great players on the team who have another whole year of experience under their belt which, I think, should be a big strength of ours.”