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Santa Ana girls water polo coach Maer Cruz estimates that one or two of his players knew how to swim before entering high school.

None of his players, he adds, knew the eggbeater kick, water polo’s other foundational technique that allows players to tread water in an upright position. And none of the girls knew the experience of playing club water polo, which is scare in the city of Santa Ana.

Yet, after last weekend, the Saints know about qualifying for the CIF Southern Section semifinals. And soon, they’ll know about playing for a chance to reach the finals.

Santa Ana (24-2), seeded third for the Division 6 playoffs, will make its first appearance in the semifinals Wednesday when it plays at No. 2-seeded Chino Hills (22-9) at 5 p.m.

Yes, the Saints — along with several other teams in Orange County this season — have come a very long way.

“It’s really special,” Cruz said of the postseason run. “I get to see the growth.”

While many players across the county start playing water polo with age-group programs, the Saints have learned to swim, eggbeater, pass, shoot and other skills while in high school.

Cruz said his players have embraced training and giving a maximum effort in matches. They highlighted their regular season by winning tournament titles at Western and Corona.

“They work through it,” Cruz said of his players’ inexperience. “They practice hard.”

The team is led by the senior-core of center Samantha Prado, defender Ivy To and attackers Delilah Zavala and Alondra Rodriguez. Prado leads the Saints with 114 goals.

Juniors Alejandra Camacho and Azalea Urbano split time goal. Sophomore Marisela Ramirez and junior Meranda Mora are other emerging players.

Santa Ana’s inexperience isn’t the only obstacle it has cleared. The team also has navigated the pandemic in one of the hardest-hit communities in the county.

“They’ve all stayed together,” said Cruz, a 1995 graduate of Santa Ana. “They’re willing to help each other.”

If Santa Ana wins on Wednesday, it could face a similar opponent in the finals on Saturday. La Quinta, which also teaches its players to swim as freshmen, will make its first appearance in the semifinals when it plays host to Marlborough in the other Division 6 semifinal Wednesday at 6 p.m.

The Aztecs upset top-seeded Buena 5-4 in the quarterfinals Saturday behind 13 saves by senior Yen Vu and two goals from senior Jessica Geck.

Seven other county schools will make their first semifinal appearance on Wednesday. They are: Edison and San Juan Hills (Division 2), Beckman and Woodbridge (Division 3), Trabuco Hills and Cypress (Division 4) and JSerra (Division 5).

The Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine will play host to the semifinals for the Open Division, Division 1, the Edison-San Juan Hills semifinal and the Cypress-Oxnard clash.

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