Trinity’s U18 Girls’ water polo team delivered an outstanding performance at the ESSA Plate Final this week, narrowly missing out on the title after an inspiring day of competition at Marlborough College.
The team showed their strength from the outset, topping their group with impressive wins over Millfield (6–4) and King’s High, Warwick (7–4). Building momentum with each match, they carried that form into a confident semi-final victory against Bedford Modern (9–6).
The final proved to be a tense and closely fought contest against Colfe’s. Trinity created a number of strong chances and pushed their opponents all the way, but it was not meant to be this time, and the match ended in a narrow 5–4 defeat.
Despite the result, the performance across the day was outstanding. With only four players having prior experience before joining Trinity, the team’s progress has been remarkable, led brilliantly by Upper Sixth student and U20 GB Water Polo player Lily Evans. This silver medal marks an improvement on last year’s bronze in the same competition and is a testament to their hard work and commitment throughout the season.
Lily said, “I’m honoured to have captained the girls in both of my years at Trinity and for the trust Mr King placed in me. Leading the team has been a huge privilege, and I’m thrilled by how much the girls have grown and developed since last year.
“Finishing second in the Plate and beating Millfield were standout moments. Facing such a powerhouse sporting school and coming out on top was truly remarkable. Our match against Bedford also really stood out — drawing 2–2 at half time and then going on to win 9–6 showed our determination and belief. Mr King’s pre-game pep talks boosted my confidence, which inspired the whole team — I knew that if I looked confident, everyone else would feel it too. I’ll definitely miss looking over to the bench and seeing him smiling, shouting “love it,” and cheering after every goal scored (which thankfully was quite a few).
“There were also some truly special moments, like Tilly and Nell scoring their first ever water polo goals — seeing their smiles made me so happy for the team.
“Coming second in the Plate was a huge achievement for Trinity — it’s amazing to see girls’ sport continuing to put itself on the map. I really hope it continues to thrive as Trinity begins its co-ed journey, and that others get the chance to be coached by some of the best coaches I’ve experienced in my sporting career.”
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Attention now turns to the U18 Boys, who will compete in their ESSA Final later this week.
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