In addition to his defensive leadership, Popp also contributes a distinct enthusiasm to the team dynamic.

“He’ll make a big save or someone will get a good field block, and then he’ll yell, he’ll splash and he gets everyone pumped,” Zepfel said. “His screaming makes you more excited and swim down a lot faster.”

Popp, who stands at six feet tall, dedicated his summer to intense skills and agility training, working to ensure that in his senior season, big saves were not a rare commodity.

“I really worked this summer to move and cutoff angles and make it hard to find gaps in the cage,” Popp said. “I made sure to get to the ball quick and not give [my opponents] the chance to build up an offense.”

According to Zepfel, this extra and, more importantly, specialized training over the summer has allowed Popp to return to Cambridge with more confidence

“He’s grown in his confidence so much,” Zepfel said. “He used to get so rattled. He’s done an amazing job of calming himself down and [moving on after being scored on]. He’s made a lot of technical improvements, but that’s the biggest thing: how he approaches every play.”

However, Popp said he plans to top his 230-save 2010 season by building off of his revamped enthusiasm for the game.

As he begins his final season with the Crimson, Popp enters each game with an energized mentality, an acknowledgment of his Harvard career coming to a close.

“There are only 27 games left—that’s really all I have left,” said Popp, who likely will not pursue water polo after graduation. “This is my last go. I have to leave it all in the pool. I’m going to take the rest of the season just one game at a time.”