The women’s water polo team currently holds a 6-5 record and freshman Juliette Dhalluin hoping to lead the team into the deep end of success.
The utility player may be new to the team, but she’s coming in with a lot of experience. She’s been playing water polo for 10 years, and just turned 18 in November. She came to ASU from Mulhouse, France, where she garnered most of her water polo experience and play.
Dhalluin originally played on a club team with boys but left when she was 13 years old to play at a center throughought high school with other girls. Playing with boys never bothered her though.
“I didn’t care to play with them," Dhalluin said. "I just wanted to show them that yeah, I am a girl, but I can be as good as you are."
This transition to the center started her journey to play in the United States.
“When I was training in the center for four years, I got the opportunity to join the French Senior Team. I had been playing with the French team for three years,” Dhalluin said. "I wanted to challenge myself two years prior to the Olympics because I am preparing for the Olympics with the French team. I wanted to challenge myself and play in one of the best championships in the world.”
ASU was the challenge Dhalluin was looking for. She has friends in France who previously played for ASU, so the University was already on her radar when searching for schools. ASU’s ranking in the top 10 of the Collegiate Water Polo Association also made it a target for her.
Her experience so far with the Sun Devils has been nothing but good.
“I adapted to the new environment pretty well. The team was really welcoming," Dhalluin said. "Everybody is putting the work in the water, so (I'm) just working hard with them and enjoying my journey."
Dhalluin credits the international students on the women's water polo team for helping her adjust to the new setting. Out of the 18 girls on the roster, four of them besides Dhalluin are international players.
“Honestly, I feel like every time a European comes into the team it feels like it’s a different connection," junior attacker Luca Petovary said. "Culture wise, we’re a lot closer, so I think we bonded really quickly. And both of us are super passionate about water polo, so it was an easy connection for me.”
Dhalluin certainly isn’t alone in her experience. She has her parents, friends and family who have been extremely supportive of her and her decision to play in the United States.
Her teammates and coaches have her back too. Head coach Petra Pardi knows Dhalluin serves a vital role in the team’s success this season.
“She just has a killer instinct to her as a shooter," Pardi said. "She’s a very smart and creative player on offense and she’s also a really good defensive player. And just the fact that she was so young in all the age groups she’s ever played at. She’s even young for a freshman here in the NCAA.”
Pardi and the team have had their eyes on Dhalluin for a couple of years, recognizing her talent and the potential to grow further on the team. Dhalluin is leaving the college scene at the end of this season to go back home and train for the Summer 2024 Olympics in Paris, an absence that will impact the team.
“She’s going to be very hard to replace. She’s an outstanding lefty,” Pardi said. "The team will have a senior lefty and two new freshmen. We will have some very interesting repertoire of lefties to try to makeup for Juliette’s absence next year.”
After Dhalluin’s Olympic year, she’ll be back for three more years with the Sun Devils. Pardi is already excited about her return.
“She’ll bring a lot of experience, and I hope that she will step into a major leadership role on this team for us in the water," Pardi said. "You know, delegating people, and being a player and a coach at the same time in the water.”
Dhalluin has a promising career in water polo, and her favorite thing about the sport is "playing with a team and being able to communicate with them, to create connections with people."
Next up the women's water polo team will travel to go head to head with California on March 4.
Edited by Kathryn Field, Walker Smith, Jasmine Kabiri and Grace Copperthite.
Reach the reporter at katrinamic03@gmail.com and follow @kat_m67 on Twitter.
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