WEDNESDAY’S CIF-SS GIRLS WATER POLO SEMIFINALS
MURRIETA VALLEY (21-10) VS. EL TORO (21-9)
Site, time: William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center, 6:30 p.m.
Outlook: The top-seeded Chargers face an old foe with a chance to reach their first section final on the line. El Toro edged fourth-seeded Murrieta Valley, 10-9, in mid-December in a nonleague match following the Villa Park Classic. The victory helped spark a breakthrough season the Chargers, who claimed the South Coast League title and finished sixth at the Irvine SoCal Championships. El Toro prides itself on defense and a potent counterattack. Tori Rainone, pictured above, has been strong in the cage while Maddy Damato is one of the county’s top 2-meter defenders. The Chargers also feature two centers in Dana Acquah-Asare and Haley Hagerty, swift attackers Jessica Rodriguez and Maddy Parenteau and utility Ashley Riley. Murrieta Valley survived a difficult test in the quarterfinals, overcoming foul trouble to defeat Montebello, 13-11. The Nighthawks are led by junior utility Delayne Lynton, the daughter of Coach Bryan Lynton. Last season, they were edged in the Division 2 semifinals by Santa Margarita, 9-8, in sudden-death overtime on a winning strike by Haley Wan, now at Princeton.
