4 players from Laguna Beach High girls’ water polo commit

Four incoming seniors from Laguna Beach High girls’ water polo have each committed to play in college, coach Ethan Damato confirmed Wednesday.

Nicole Struss, the Daily Pilot Dream Team 2019-20 Player of the Year, has committed to UCLA. Left-hander Emma Lineback also committed to the Bruins.

Emma Singer and Jessie Rose have each committed to Cal, Damato said.

The four players are each key pieces for the Breakers, who won their second straight CIF Southern Section Division 1 title in February. It was the fifth CIF championship in seven years for Laguna Beach (33-1), which also won the CIF State Southern California Regional Division I title.

Struss, a center who was the Surf League MVP and CIF Southern Section Division 1 Player of the Year, was second on Laguna Beach with 74 goals. She also had 28 assists and 25 steals.

She said she enjoyed the family atmosphere that UCLA provided. The Bruins were 19-2 this year before the rest of the season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think it’s something that once you’re a part of, you’re a part of it forever,” Struss said. “It kind of reminded me of what we have here in Laguna. I think they’ve created an amazing culture that I really wanted to be a part of.”

Lineback, a dangerous left-handed attacker, also is headed to Westwood. She was a first-team Dream Team selection and had a team-best 80 goals, adding 59 assists and 32 steals. She scored all of the Breakers’ fourth-quarter goals in the Division 1 final to help them rally past Foothill.

Singer, a second-team Dream Team selection, had 34 goals, 40 assists and 23 steals while aiding the Breakers’ defense. Rose, an attacker who is also a cross-country standout for Laguna Beach, had 30 goals, 32 assists and 32 steals.

“I think that [all of us committing] really shows all of the hard work that everyone has put in,” Struss said. “To have already four girls going to great schools just amazes me.

“When I heard about each of the girls committing to each school, it brought me to tears. I was just so happy for everybody. We’ve all grown up together, and we’ve seen all of these waves of girls going to amazing schools. We were just hoping one day, that could be us. For it to start to become a reality is just surreal, amazing and a really cool experience.”

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