Four Warrior girls given all-league water polo honors

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

The Avocado League girls water polo coaches gave four Fallbrook High School players all-league recognition.

Ava Dowden and Kela Kendall were selected for the all-league first team. Arden Baur and Alexis Fieri were named second-team Avocado League members.

"I thought it was great," Fallbrook coach Sean Redmond said, of four of his players receiving all-league recognition.

Fallbrook was 4-1 in Avocado League play, and shared the league championship with San Marcos. The Warriors' 14-11 overall record also reflects a win in the first round of the CIF Division II playoffs, and a loss in the playoff quarterfinals.

Dowden and Kendall are both juniors, and they have now received all-league designation in three different leagues. After Fallbrook High School's girls water polo team won six Valley League championships in seven years, the North County Conference assigned Fallbrook to a more competitive league.

The 2021-22 Warriors had a 1-4 Palomar League record, and Fallbrook joined the Avocado League for 2023. As freshmen in 2020‑21, Dowden and Kendall were both on the Valley League first team. The 2021-22 Palomar League coaches placed Dowden on the all-league first team and Kendall on the Palomar League second team.

Both first-team selections are utility players who can play multiple positions. "The two kind of work together in tandem," Redmond said.

Dowden was primarily used as a driver. "Ava basically dominated, I feel, within the league," Redmond said. "It's nice for her to be recognized for that."

Kendall primarily played wing. "I think it showed the amount of work she put in this year," Redmond said of her first-team status. "Her and Ava played off each other very well and could interpret the other."

Baur and Fieri are both seniors. Baur was Fallbrook's goalkeeper. Fieri played set defense.