Erica Marquez leads water polo team into uncharted territory
Though APU’s women’s water polo program is still relatively new, the Cougars made their mark last week by reaching the top-25 for the first time in school history. This is largely thanks to senior goalkeeper Erica Marquez.
When Marquez joined the Cougars in 2014, the team had only existed for five years.
“When I started, the teams then were completely different from the teams now,” Marquez said. “Before, the other teams would look at us and laugh at our roster, and now we go in and they have to prepare for us. We have been competitive, and we have beat top-25 teams in Division-I programs.”
As team captain and goalkeeper, Marquez is largely responsible for making that happen. Last year alone, she recorded 250 saves in one season, with that number going on record as the third-most saves for an APU goalkeeper.
“I’ve always seen [my role] to be a momentum-shifter,” Marquez said. “Water polo games are done in under an hour, but when you’re swimming the whole time and don’t get a break it can be grueling. So sometimes a big block from a goalie can get people going and give us that break. I guess, relatively, I don’t get a lot of action, but the things I do in the water do count.”
Sophomore goalkeeper Kristine Khachikian has learned from Marquez as her backup and said Marquez’s role as a starting goalkeeper is more than just blocking the ball.
“My high school coach always used to say that goalie was the most important player, next to set. I never understood that until now,” Khachikian said. “The goalie has to communicate with the team and is the last line of defense, and those are important aspects that have to come together.”
Khachikian said Marquez makes a good team captain because the team can count on her to listen to her teammates and give back.
“Erica is very dependable. That’s why she was voted captain. She’s very easy-going, and will hear everything from everyone, and try her best to give back,” Khachikian said.
Junior two meter Arianne Yeo said Marquez’s conduct and strength make her a great captain.
“[Erica’s very composed], how she carries herself around the school,” Yeo said. “We have to remember that we’re not just representing ourselves, we’re also representing the team, so we have to carry ourselves with dignity.”
Marquez said while she keeps her composure in and out of the water, she often has a hard time balancing sports with school.
“I feel like athletics and academics are expected to go hand-in hand, but I am a very one-task oriented person,” Marquez said. “Even though I’m graduating in like a month and I don’t know what I want to do, I’m at complete peace with it. For now, I want to focus on completing this season strong…I don’t want to be in the water with half my mind on the game and half my mind on what’s gonna happen next year.”
Marquez said despite the exhaustion, being a biology major and part of such a physically demanding sport has caused her to grow.
“I’ve felt exhausted most of the time in college, but it’s worth it. I think my biggest accomplishment will be completing this journey, because you don’t think you’re gonna make it, and there’s no way I can wake up at 5:30 in the morning and jump into a cold pool anymore,” Marquez said with a laugh. “A lot of people didn’t think I could stay in the biology major because it’s so demanding, but here I am.”
Marquez seems to thrive off of defying the odds and proving people wrong. Her competitive spirit is contagious, which spreads to her teammates. Each of the team members keep bead strings on their backpacks, and each bead represents a significant win.
Marquez said though this has been one of the hardest experiences in her life, it was worth it, because she was able to watch her team grow.
“We’ve been really making a name for ourselves and I’m so proud to have been here for that four-year journey. It hasn’t been easy and we’ve struggled along the way, but we’ve also grown so much from it.”
Marquez has started all 26 games for the Cougars this season, with only three more regular season games left in her collegiate career before entering the Golden Coast Conference (GCC) Tournament in late April.
Azusa Pacific is currently 13-13 this season and will take on Santa Clara on Saturday, April 7 at Citrus College.