What the heck is water polo?

The Michigan women"s water polo team hopes to provide the answer to that question this spring, as it becomes the University"s 25th varsity program.

Not only is this the inaugural year for varsity water polo at Michigan, but this is also the sport"s first year in the NCAA. The Wolverines are members of the Eastern Conference, which is comprised of 22 teams. Michigan coach Amber Drury-Pinto sees the most competition in the East coming from Princeton, Massachusetts, Queens and Indiana which is Michigan"s biggest rival and the only other Big Ten varsity water polo team.

Before water polo became an NCAA sport, 16 teams got the opportunity to play for the national title in a playoff, but now just four teams will qualify for the NCAA Tournament, making the competition even more fierce.

"There"s a huge level of competition, and to be one of those four teams to be able to play in that game during my first year on varsity would be great," junior captain Delia Sonda said. "But we"re all just going to work hard it"s all we can do."

Water polo features seven players from each team in the water at one time. Two of which are at the positions of utility, two-meter, and driver, respectively. One goalie provides the last line of defense.

The two-meter players are like centers in basketball. They stand right in front of the goal, take a lot of abuse, and handle the ball the most of any position. The quicker players are drivers, important to the transition game. Utility players can do it all, offensively or defensively.

Don"t assume that water polo is a non-contact sport just because it"s played in a natatorium. Drury-Pinto, who played and coached on the United States National water polo team, knows about the extremely physical nature of the game.

"You get a little bit of everything suits get grabbed, at least two or three (suits) get ripped per game," Drury-Pinto said. "There are times when you can be held underwater for about five seconds. I think people will be surprised broken noses, cuts on faces."

To prepare her team for the abuse, Drury-Pinto has had the team on an extensive weight training program. The players must have large amounts of energy and stamina to handle the fast-paced game.

"The girls are in really good shape they have to be. There"s no touching the bottom (of the pool)," Drury-Pinto said. "Its not like in basketball where the whistle blows and play stops. We are always treading water, swimming, and moving. Our conditioning is what helps us get through the season."

Quality conditioning is a necessity for the Wolverines, who plan to take advantage of their team quickness by keeping the game at an upbeat tempo.

"I"d relate it a lot to basketball," Drury-Pinto said. "We"ll be doing a lot of pressing, one-on-one and matchup. I"m looking for our transition game to be a big strength."

Drury-Pinto has an endless list of accomplishments in the water polo world, such as playing in two world championships, working as an assistant coach on the women"s national team, and being on the coaching staff at San Diego State in her home state of California. This experience has helped her earn the respect of her players.

"They know (I"ve) played on a high level. I think the players like that a lot," Drury-Pinto said. "Also, I know that I can help further them beyond where they"ve been."

Drury-Pinto and assistant coach Bernice Orwig, a fellow Californian, have combined to corral a top freshman class comprised of seven players from their home state.

The fact that Drury-Pinto and Orwig both moved from the West Coast to start the program at Michigan shows a commitment to success that the recruits and their families recognized.

"It shows the players and their families that we"re here. We"re going to make this a quality program," Drury-Pinto said. "We"re going to continue the strong tradition. (The players) felt safe in that if we"re making the move, they can too."

Freshman Julie Nisbet, a two-meter player out of Santa Barbara, cites another reason for Michigan"s recruiting success.

"Michigan sells itself. You walk into the natatorium and there"s the diving well with the huge "M" at the bottom of the pool," Nisbet said. "There is so much tradition here. The thought of being an athlete here was really drawing. It"s cool to say that you are a Michigan athlete."

Water polo is very popular in California, but the chance to build the sport in the midwest was an appealing offer for the Wolverines.

"It was just too good of an opportunity to pass up," Nisbet said. "I had the opportunity to come to a brand new program and start off fresh.