Kixmiller driving force for women's water polo program

In her time at Princeton, Katherine Kixmiller has witnessed and participated in the remarkable growth of a young athletic program.

Four years ago, Kixmiller joined women's water polo, in its second season as a varsity sport, as part of an initial class of recruits.

An instant contributor, the senior driver quickly established herself as one of the team's primary offensive weapons, tallying 60 goals in her freshman campaign for a young team that earned a berth in the national tournament.

Since then the Tigers have improved rapidly, adding talented players and climbing the national rankings — reaching heights almost unheard of for an east coast school — with Kixmiller as an important part of that success.

Having nearly spanned the inception of women's water polo as a varsity sport to the present, Kixmiller has a unique perspective on the rise of the program.

"Every game was really rough [freshman year], because the players didn't have the background and the team didn't have the talent level it has now, we really had to fight every game. It made me appreciate the success we've had recently, especially last year," Kixmiller said.

A native of Menlo Park, Calif., Kixmiller began playing water polo her freshman year in high school. A swimmer and basketball player as well, Kixmiller saw water polo — with its emphasis on speed and endurance in the pool, as well as ball movement, passing, and shooting accuracy — as a natural combination of the two.

"My history teacher was the coach, and he saw me throwing a football around school one day, and he said something like, 'Bring that arm down to the pool' or something like that," Kixmiller said. "I soon after quit swimming and fell in love with polo.

"I think the reason I made the switch from swimming was having a group dynamic and team game. It's a strategy game. It's demanding, but there's a great mix of finesse also. It is a contact sport, but there is also a lot about it that needs fine tuning."

Since coming to Princeton, Kixmiller has continued to hone her skills, although numbers may not always show it. A focal point of the Princeton attack her freshman year, the senior has seen her goal production drop throughout her Princeton career, the result of stronger recruiting and a more talented team. Kixmiller has had to adapt to the new role of being one of several women in the water capable of consistently scoring.

"We're a much deeper team," she said. "Having all these younger players around who are really quality players has made me have to improve and really work hard. My role has definitely changed from being more of a playmaker to being more of a contributor. We have six people in the water all the time who are offensive threats, and we don't have to rely on one or two people any more to do that."

On the offensive end, Kixmiller can complement some of the other players on the team.

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"She has a very accurate shot," sophomore hole-set Adele McCarthy-Beauvais said. "She knows the game pretty well, and she's always thinking about what she's doing and how her actions fit into the game. We rely on her to be a strong shooter on the top so the defense doesn't drop in on us, so we can more effectively run our offense."

For example, because McCarthy-Beauvais is such a dominant two-meter player, opposing defenses will often collapse in on her, freeing up drivers on the perimeter. Drivers like Kixmiller have the option to shoot, or fake — drawing the defense — and pass the ball back into McCarthy-Beauvais for an easier opportunity.

Because she is such a strong shooter, Kixmiller makes the defense's job more difficult, potentially making it pay a price for packing in close to the net.

"The thing about water polo is that one person is never going to be able to carry the team," Kixmiller said. "The game doesn't work if all six players aren't on the same page, and it's a beautiful thing when it clicks."

On the defensive end, Kixmiller has the responsibility of marking one of the opposing team's two-meter players, a tough assignment for one of the relatively smaller women in the water at five feet, eight inches tall.

"I'm not one of the bigger players," Kixmiller said. "I'm usually outweighed by about 10 or 20 pounds by the girls that I guard, so I kind of have to be aggressive and think ahead. Most of the aggressive play and the holding is going on underwater, where the referees can't see it. You have to learn to deal with that, and also to dish it out at times."

As one of the more experienced players on a team that sports just two seniors and four upperclassmen, Kixmiller has learned to deal with and adapt to a lot in the water.

With the team returning all six of its field players, she hopes to see the young program continue its ascension to national prominence.