For years, swimming and water polo have been two sports that shared a pool but little else. Yet for a growing number of athletes, the lines between these disciplines are beginning to blur.

Water polo performance analysis has evolved into a multidisciplinary field integrating physiology, biomechanics and tactical evaluation techniques to enhance players’ and teams’ competitive edge.

Maddie Musselman laughed good-naturedly, pretending to cover up the “Newport Water Polo” logo on her hoodie before a picture could be taken. “I do feel weird putting this on,” she said. “I was like, ...