The genesis of Stevenson senior Olivia Spieth’s water polo career came not in the water but on top of it.
“I have two older twin brothers,” she said. “They played hockey growing up, so I think part of who I am and how I play the sport comes from growing up with them. I think that’s pretty big.”
Spieth’s brothers, Kevin and Calvin, are four years older than her. They gave Spieth her first taste of competitive sports.
“We have a pond in our backyard,” Spieth said. “Over the winters, it would freeze up, so I skated with them a little bit. I wasn’t on their level, but it was fun.”
That whetted Spieth’s appetite for competition. She began playing water polo when she was in sixth grade and soon got serious about it.
Since then, Spieth has become the best player in the state. She capped her high school career by leading Stevenson to its unprecedented fourth consecutive state title, scoring nine goals in a 16-11 victory over York in the championship game at Barrington High School on Saturday.
In becoming the first team to win four straight state titles, a run that began in 2023
More Top Picks Best Google Pixel Phones
, the Patriots (35-1) also denied York’s bid to make history. The Dukes (24-7-1) were seeking their first state title in their first appearance in the final. They might have won if not for Spieth’s terrific performance.“She’s super talented, and we were aware of that going into the game,” York coach Mark Giuliani said. “Ultimately, her individual ability was on display.
“We tried our best as a team to shut her down, and I’m really proud because, honestly, I think we did do a pretty good job of shutting her down for the most part. But she still always is going to find a way.”
That was evident from the first possession, which ended with Spieth lobbing a shot over the head of York goalkeeper Caroline Lemeka for her first goal. The Patriots didn’t trail at any point, with Spieth scoring on a variety of shots.
“It’s pretty incredible,” Stevenson coach Jeff Wimer said. “Every summer since she graduated eighth grade, she started training out in California. So playing against the best kids in the country all the time, that’s why she is as special as she is.
“She works so hard and just puts in the time and is dedicated and committed. You can just tell by how she plays, how intelligent she is. She is always in control.”
As are the Patriots, who have reached the state championship game in nine consecutive years and won seven of the past eight titles. They were nearly unbeatable with Spieth in the lineup, going 140-3-1.
Spieth was one of only two four-year varsity players on this roster. Goalkeeper Elsa Kusevskis, who appeared in two games as a utility player as a freshman, is the other.
“Obviously, it’s all thanks to the coaches and the program that they’ve built here,” Spieth said. “Without them, it wouldn’t have been possible to create this winning culture, and being a senior, that means I’ve won all four years.
“It’s super special. I was a starter freshman year, so I started with a very different group of people. Every year has kind of shifted, but we were able to find our way and ultimately win four.”
Spieth is humble in interviews, crediting her coaches and teammates.
“It’s a team sport,” she said. “We all have to work together. It’s not just one person, so it’s making sure we get the ball to the person with the higher-percentage shot.”
Junior Caroline Bichkoff, who scored three goals against York, has been Spieth’s teammate for three years.
“She’s always pushing me to be better,” Bichkoff said. “She’s always very supportive. I feel like I can always trust her in the pool. I feel like we’re very in sync with each other and we know each other’s strengths and how to play to them in the water.”
Bichkoff, who was Stevenson’s second-leading scorer behind Spieth, figures to be one of the team leaders next season. Like Spieth, she feels she is a part of the team, not above it.
“I think a really special thing about our team is that I feel like we’re all very close with each other,” Bichkoff said. “A lot of us are good friends, and we also have a good connection with our coaches.
“That makes it a lot easier for us to sort of work together to improve each other as much as we can. Staying in the right mindset is also another really important thing, and I think our coaches do a really good job of making sure we do that.”
Spieth’s mindset never wavers, which she said is a key to her success.
“I just think I’m determined,” she said. “I’m determined, and I’m confident in myself.”
Wimer, whose son Sean coached the Stevenson boys water polo team to its first state title since 2021 with a 10-9 win over Brother Rice on Saturday, is confident that Spieth’s place in program history is secured.
“I’ve been coaching water polo 36 years,” Wimer said. “She is the greatest player I’ve ever had, and I’ve had some incredibly talented players.
“Lauren Maloney, our assistant coach, was player of the year in 2019. Claire Haas went to USC and won a national title there. She said what a phenomenal player Olivia is.”
Spieth finished this season with 185 goals and 79 assists and her career with 492 goals and 250 assists. According to the IHSA website, she ranks fourth in career goals and first in career assists.
What’s next for Spieth remains to be seen. After competing for a club team in Santa Barbara, California, this summer, she intends to take a gap year and live in Barcelona, Spain.
More Top Picks Lintelek Id115hr
“I don’t know what I want to do career-wise, so I’m going to take a year off to figure things out, and I’ll see where it takes me,” Spieth said. “I’m interested in Europe, and I really like how they have high-level water polo.
“I’m going to play for a club team over there. Everything is not in stone yet, but we’ll figure that out over the summer.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.