Women’s History Month is a chance to celebrate the women who move aquatic sports forward. Not only through medals and match results, but through leadership, resilience, and the commitment to give back to the next generation.
As part of our Women’s History Month Spotlight series, CVXCA is highlighting athletes and coaches whose stories reflect what water polo can unlock: confidence, community, opportunity, and a lifelong connection to the sport.
This week, we’re honored to spotlight Paola Priscilla Vizcarra- an elite Mexican National Team athlete, former San Diego State University standout, international professional player, and now a coach continuing her impact on the pool deck.
From Chula Vista to the World Stage
Born in 1996, and raised in Chula Vista, California, Paola’s water polo story began in an important and relatable way: she started the sport in high school as a freshman. Without years of age-group polo behind her, she learned quickly and fell into the sport with the kind of focus that separates good athletes from great ones.
At 16, she joined a club team and began accelerating her development. That late start didn’t limit her, it fueled her. In a few short years, Paola’s dedication opened doors that would take her far beyond her first pool.
Mexico National Team: Youth to Elite
When Paola turned 18, she earned a spot on the Mexico Youth National Team, competing from 2014–2016. From there, she moved up to the Elite Mexico National Team, representing her country at the highest level from 2016–2023.
That international pathway also helped her earn the opportunity to play collegiate water polo at San Diego State University, where she competed for four years (2014–2018).
For many athletes, college is the peak. For Paola, it was a launch point.
Playing Professionally in Europe
Paola’s career continued overseas, a major step that requires not just talent, but courage, adaptability, and belief in yourself.
In 2021–2022, she played professionally in Spain with Echeyde in Tenerife (Division 1). She then moved to France to play for Team Nancy from 2022–2023, continuing her professional career in Europe’s elite environment.
That stretch competing internationally, living abroad, adapting to new systems and styles, is the kind of experience that shapes an athlete into a leader.
The 2023 Pan American Push
In 2023, Paola returned to the United States and rejoined the Mexican National Team for the Pan American competition in Santiago, Chile, with the goal of helping Mexico qualify for Paris 2024.
That moment reflects what high-level athletes understand deeply: the path isn’t linear, and the work doesn’t stop. You keep showing up because the mission matters.
“Water Polo Has Been Like a Parent”
When asked what water polo has meant to her, Paola’s answer is one of the most powerful we’ve received in this series.
“Water polo has been like a parent for me. It has taught me dedication, discipline, good morals, and not giving up.”
She speaks to something many athletes feel but don’t always say out loud: sport can raise you. It can teach you how to handle pressure, how to stay consistent, and how to build character- especially when you learn it later and realize how quickly it can transform you.
“It means a lot to me that I was able to learn this sport so quickly and it taught me so much at an older age,” she adds. “It truly has opened many doors for me.”
Doors to national teams, a college career, international professional play and now, coaching.
Why Coaching: When the Game Pulls You Back In
Paola’s transition into coaching started the way many meaningful coaching journeys begin: not as a planned career move, but as a calling.
After returning from Chile, Paola faced a major turning point, her shoulder injury required surgery. She tried to step away from water polo, but the sport wasn’t done with her.
“I tried to stay away from polo,” she shares, “but a parent heard I was back in San Diego and they needed a coach for their high school team.”
She already knew many of the athletes from her time coaching their club team, and she realized what she already knew in her heart:
“I couldn’t stay away from polo.”
That’s what makes great coaches. They’re not just people who know the sport, they’re people the sport lives in.
Advice to Young Women: Confidence Is a Skill
Paola’s advice to young women is direct, personal, and exactly what athletes need to hear- especially in spaces where confidence can be criticized more quickly than it’s celebrated.
“I think about this question as if it were my younger self,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to show confidence or overconfidence.”
She acknowledges what many female athletes navigate: being a girl or woman in sport can come with pressure, judgment, and limits imposed by others- sometimes subtle, sometimes loud.
“Showing you are great and that you can be great at anything you set your mind to,” Paola says, “is the best trait you can ever have.”
Confidence isn’t arrogance. It’s permission. It’s ownership. And for young women, it’s often a skill they have to practice on purpose.
Why CVXCA: Relationships, Trust, and Raising the Standard
When it came time to choose robes for her team, Paola’s decision came down to something we care deeply about at CVXCA: trust and partnership.
“Jamie (our sales rep) is what drew me to CVXCA the fact that we already had a past together. Jamie is an SDSU water polo alumni. I actually played water polo with her sister Mikayla at SDSU and her other sister Brooke was my weights coach made it a little easier."
“The icing on the cake was that she made everything very easy for me and the communication was always there,” Paola says. “She wants to innovate and make a company that was already good even better and that type of mindset is what drew me even more.”
That’s exactly the standard we aim to bring: clear communication, reliability, and a commitment to keep improving the experience for coaches and teams.
Celebrating Paola
Paola Priscilla Vizcarra represents what’s possible when talent meets discipline and when a late start becomes motivation instead of limitation. Her story spans high school beginnings, national teams, college water polo, professional play across Europe, and a return to the sport through coaching.
This Women’s History Month, we’re proud to celebrate Paola not only for what she’s accomplished, but for what she’s building next: confident athletes, stronger teams, and the next wave of women who will carry the sport forward.
Stay tuned for more Women’s History Month spotlights as we celebrate the women who lead in water and beyond it.
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