A veteran of the sport, Minnis understood how precious Welch’s opportunity was.

“There’s not a lot of [playing] opportunities out there, and her window is closing…it was something she couldn’t pass up,” Minnis said.

The players added their support too.

“She gets to play professional water polo in Greece, and we all thought that was incredible,” Katzer said. “She made the right decision.”

Minnis and Welch informed the team of Welch’s impending departure shortly before the last game of the Princeton Invitational Sept. 12.

“We weren’t gonna let her at that point go out on an L,” Katzer said. “It definitely motivated us.”

Despite not having won a game yet at the tournament, an inspired and emotional water polo squad squeaked out a 9-8 victory over a strong George Washington team.

A few weeks later, Welch boarded a plane going halfway across the world, adding another chapter to her ever-developing water polo saga. Then it was back to the pool, back to the two-a-day practices, and back to the conditioning.

Welch’s work for the past few years has only heightened her understanding of the game.

“It’s fun for me to take my coaching experiences and bring that back into the water with me, which is something I didn’t have the last time I was playing,” Welch said.

Welch has made a 10-month commitment to N.E. Patras, but it’s anyone guess as to what she does after her contract expires. She might continue to play in Greece, though she said that all depends on how the season goes and the contract options available.

“I haven’t thought that far ahead yet,” Welch admitted. “[I’m] just taking it one day at a time.”

Currently, Welch is preparing for the team’s first game on Nov. 20 at home. The squad’s only foreign player, the former Wolverine will once more resume her post as driver.

“We have a couple national players from Greece and a few other strong players, so hopefully we’ll have a good team,” Welch said. “It’ll be fun and interesting to see how it all comes together Nov. 20.”

Another coach and team a continent away will be eagerly awaiting that day too.