Water Polo:

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor

When Ellie Travisano walked onto the GHS campus for the first time, expectations were incredibly high.

And they came from both the girls water polo program and Travisano herself.

From day one, Travisano has been a captain and a leading contributor for a team that hadn’t made the playoffs before her arrival.

In the three years since, the GHS winning percentage has gone from 58 to 78 to 88-percent, respectively.

The Tartans have gone to the CIF-SS quarterfinals, semifinals and title-game over that same stretch.

It’s been a magical run that includes a 9-3 mark in the postseason.

Aside from being 29-4 last year and claiming playoff victories over University (16-10), El Dorado (15-6), Murrieta Mesa (11-9) and Edison (8-7) , the Tartans also claimed their first Palomares League championship in school history.

The only real sour note was a 14-12 setback to La Serna in the D-4 title game.

The GHS utility player has scored 272 goals over the past two years alone, which is a team best, and she and junior Hailey Andress are first or second in almost every offensive category.

Ellie has played club water polo since she was 10 years old, and in a phone interview on Monday evening, Travisano said watching her brother Chase play at Damien pushed her into the sport.

Chase is a current member of the UCLA men’s water polo program.

And if her exploits in the pool weren’t impressive enough, Travisano has a weighted GPA of 4.2 and she’s been described as a great and selfless teammate.

It’s because of all of her virtues that made it possible for Travisano to commit to play water polo for Arizona State University.

Travisano said she loves the Tempe campus and looks forward to playing for Sun Devils’ coach, Todd Clapper.

But the Tartans get her for one more season.

In our conversation, Travisano mentioned a lot of teammates who also deserve massive credit for GHS becoming a water polo power, and they included Hailey Andress, Jordyn Lughart, Rachelle Herrera, Elizabeth Ramirez, Elise Brown and Alyssa Perez.

The other piece to the puzzle is a remarkable young coach named Alba Espinar Gomez.

The 27-year old and APU graduate has a two-year record of 59-10 overall and 7-2 in the playoffs.

“Alba is a great coach,” Ellie said. “Even as a JV coach my freshman year, she was always keeping an eye on us (varsity players). She stepped in and did an amazing job. Her confidence helped get us through this. Her coaching style isn’t something I’ve seen before and we found it rewarding. We feel the respect and appreciate it, because she makes us figure out our own stuff and take care of drama that she doesn’t need to be involved with.”

Travisano also says the team chemistry and the maturation process has been a huge reason the Tartans are enjoying so much success.

When asked to describe herself, Travisano said, “I try to be the most versatile player I can be and if I’m not scoring, I’m trying to contribute in as many ways as I can. It’s always fun to score, but if the team is winning, that’s all I care about, and my teammates all do their part as well. It has been incredible to see the growth of this program and I’m so proud to be part of it.”

Travisano believes she will get to play a senior season at GHS, but she’ll be prepared to deal with a worst-case scenario.

If there’s one positive to COVID-19, it’s that Ellie got to bond with her two brothers Chase, twin brother Tyler, and sister, Tara.

She credits her parents, Wendy and Chris, for being the foundation for all that is good in their lives.

“My parents are my true leaders,” she said. “They have supported me through all the decisions I’ve made in my life. Their support is special and is something all kids should not take for granted. I’m lucky to have a family that supports me and they’ve helped guide me through these years.”

Lastly, we asked Ellie what she hopes her legacy is when her days at GHS are over, and what her younger teammates think about her.

Said Ellie Travisano: “I hope my younger teammates remember me as a great leader and someone they could look up to. That I worked hard and did things the right way, and that I appreciated my teammates and would do anything I could to help us win.”

Quotable:

GHS coach, Alba Espinar Gomez: “I am very proud of Ellie. ASU has one of the best programs in the country and it’s right where she belongs. I have been lucky to be able to coach her for three years and watch her persevere to achieve her goals. She’s not only an incredibly talented athlete, but also an excellent leader, who makes everyone around her better, both in and out of the pool. She really is a special one. I wish her the best.”

GHS junior, Hailey Andress: “Ellie is a great team player and always puts her team first. She is a great leader in and out of the water and always makes sure everyone is included.”

Ellie Travisano’s Stats From 2018-2020:

2019-2020: 141 goals (first), 4.3 per game (first), 40 assists (Hailey Andress 79, Jordyn Lughart 79, Rachelle Herrera 50)—points (181) second to Andress (184), steals 77, second to Andress (82).

2018-2019: 131 goals (first), 59 assists (second to Hailey Andress 74), 190 points (second to Andress, 200) steals 99 (first).

GHS Records Since Travisano Joined Program:

2019-20: 29-4 overall, 9-1 in Palomares League, 4-1 in playoffs

2018-19: 29-6, 4-3 in league, 3-1 in playoffs

2017-18: 18-13, 2-6 in league, 2-1 in playoffs

Editors Note: to any schools within our coverage zone, please send info to [email protected] about your student-athletes’ commitments and we’ll be happy to write a story on them as well.