{"id":348367,"date":"2019-01-23T12:04:48","date_gmt":"2019-01-23T19:04:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=348367"},"modified":"2019-01-23T18:35:34","modified_gmt":"2019-01-24T01:35:34","slug":"2019-womens-water-polo-preview-the-big-west-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/2019-womens-water-polo-preview-the-big-west-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"2019 Women\u2019s Water Polo Preview: The Big West Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s Note: The 2019 NCAA women\u2019s water polo season officially opened on Saturday, January 12th with the ASU Invitational at\u00a0Arizona State<\/a>. Action continued last weekend for numerous NCAA varsity programs. Swimming World will provide previews of the seven varsity conferences\u2014Big West, Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA), Golden Coast Conference (GCC), Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) and Western Water Polo Association (WWPA)\u2014that will send teams to the 2019 NCAA Women’s Water Polo Tournament.<\/em><\/p>\n

Rankings refer to the CWPA Women\u2019s Varsity Preseason Poll that was released on\u00a0January 16th<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

The intrigue of last year\u2019s Big West Championship<\/a> final has carried into this season\u2013thanks to a tie in the initial pre-season CWPA poll for women\u2019s varsity polo. Hawai’i swept undefeated to the 2018 regular season title\u2014as well as a 21-5 record\u2014only to drop an epic sudden-death overtime decision to the UC Irvine in the title match.<\/p>\n

\"big-west-logo-apr-17\"Coming into this season, Anteater and Rainbow Wahine faithful have good reasons to believe their team will capture the Big West title and advance to NCAAs\u2014as well as why fans of the UC Davis Aggies, the 49ers of Long Beach State or the Gauchos of UC Santa Barbara might hope to crash the Anteater \/ Wahine party and snatch the Big West crown. Expecting a title run by the Matadors of California State University at Northridge (CSUN) is perhaps too much to expect a year after Maddie Sanchez<\/strong>, the greatest scorer in Big West history, graduated.<\/p>\n

\"hawaii-logo\"<\/p>\n

By almost every measure\u2014except one\u20142018 was a great season for #6 (T)\u00a0Hawai\u2019i<\/a> women\u2019s water polo. Head Coach Maureen Cole<\/strong> saw her team achieve big wins, including multiple victories over Arizona State, behind Irene Gonzales<\/strong> (53 goals), Chloe Barr<\/strong> (47), Elyse Lemay-Lavoie<\/strong> (41), and goalie Ymane Hage<\/strong> (6.75 GAA).<\/p>\n

Gonzales, the 2018 Big West Player of the Year and an All-American Honorable Mention, will be back; she\u2019s already picked up where she left off last year with 11 goals at the Hawai\u2019i Invitational this past weekend. Lemay-Lavoie has also returned and will be a big part of an offense that also returns senior Femke Aan<\/strong> (37 goals).<\/p>\n

But Barr, Hage and three other seniors graduated last spring, while Maartje Keuning<\/strong> (40 goals) returned to her native Holland. To fill in the gaps, Cole has restocked with 10 freshmen\u2014most notably, goalies Bridget Laybur<\/strong>n, Madeline Pease<\/strong> and Crystal Valtierra<\/strong> in case returning sophomore Molly DeLalla<\/strong>\u2014who split starts with Hage last year\u2014is not up to the task.<\/p>\n

A couple of attackers from abroad\u2014New Zealander Bernadette Doyle<\/strong> and Emma van Rostum<\/strong> from Holland\u2014will provide a lift to the Hawai\u2019i attack, But the best bit of news this season is that, unlike last year, the Anteaters won\u2019t host in 2019. Long Beach State will.<\/p>\n

Key Matchup: UC Irvine, Friday, April 5, Irvine, CA<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Last year Dan Klatt\u2019s\u00a0<\/strong>#6 (T) UC Irvine<\/a> team started off with a significant deficit; Mary Brooks<\/strong>, the 2016 and 2017 Big West Player of the Year who was knocking on the door of the national team line-up, chose to red-shirt for the year. Despite this significant loss, the Anteaters hung tough upset top-seeded Hawai\u2019i in the Big West final and helped Klatt earn his seventh Big West Coach of The Year award in 10 years.<\/p>\n

Well, guess who\u2019s back to lead UCI in 2019? In previous seasons, Brooks generated 66 goals in 2017\u2014leading the Anteaters to the NCAA tournament\u2014and 55 in 2016. But the returning senior will not be alone on offense or defense. Klatt\u2019s team returns junior Tara Prentice<\/strong> (41 goals) and he\u2019s brought in four freshmen attackers, the most prominent of which is Piper Smith<\/strong>, an accomplished scorer from Santa Barbara.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s in goal where UCI may be toughest again this year after a conference low 161 goals against. Senior goalie Jenna Phreaner<\/strong> returns after a strong 2018 campaign that saw her achieve All-Big West First Team, record 187 saves in 22 starts, and finish as MVP of the Big West Championships. Right behind Phreaner on the Anteater depth chart is sophomore Morgan Jones<\/strong>, who is sure to see a lot of action; she was in the UCI cage this weekend in a match against #14 Wagner.<\/p>\n

Key Matchup: UCLA, Saturday, February 16, Los Angeles, CA<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"uc-davis-aggies\"It\u2019s not fair to overlook #10 UC Davis<\/a>; they may not have the big names like Gonzales and Brooks but they have Head Coach Jamey Wright<\/strong>, whose record of success speaks for itself. The Aggies haven\u2019t gone to NCAAs in a decade, and Wright has to hope that a strong start last season\u2014UC Davis was 18-8 and the #2 seed in the conference before a season-ending four-match losing slide\u2014is indicative of what to expect in 2019.<\/p>\n

[Five Questions for Jamey Wright of UC Davis Women\u2019s Water Polo]<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Annie Kutt <\/strong>(36 goals, 48 assists; both team highs) and Kathleen Schafle<\/strong> (33 goals)\u2014who keyed last season\u2019s strong start\u2014return. Paige Virgil<\/strong>, picked as an All-American Honorable Mention for leading the Aggies with 56 goals, 38 assists and 34 steals, was lost to graduation, as was Greta <\/strong>Kohlmoos<\/strong> (42 goals). To replace the lost offense, Wright has brought in eight freshmen to mix in with his 15 upper classmen. Key newcomers include Noel Wijnbelt<\/strong>, a towering center from Foothills High School, and Hailey Williams<\/strong>, and equally tall (6-2) attacker who is from St. Mary\u2019s Prep in Lodi, CA.<\/p>\n

Goalie is covered by junior Caitlin Golding<\/strong>, who started 29 of 30 matches, made 221 saves and compiled a 9.2 GAA. There\u2019s help from a couple of freshmen\u2014Lauren Hooyer<\/strong> and Sophia Noble<\/strong>\u2014as well as Cleopatra Constantin<\/strong> who backed up Golding in 2018. A fast start\u2014and better finish\u2014may get Wright and his squad back to NCAAs.<\/p>\n

Key Matchup: Stanford, Friday, April 19, Stanford, CA<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"LBS\"Right on the Aggies\u2019 heels\u2014at least according to the rankings\u2014are the 49ers of Long Beach State<\/a>. Fresh off of being named 2018 Golden Coast Conference Men\u2019s Coach of the Year, Head Coach Gavin Arroyo<\/strong> comes to the women\u2019s season with a core of experienced seniors and aspirational freshman that will look to blend together over the course of the season.<\/p>\n

Senior attacker Tori Morrissey<\/strong> (30 goals; team-high 46 points; First Team All-Big West) leads the returning group that includes Maria Eleni Mimidi<\/strong> (29 goals) and Annabel Harman<\/strong> (19).<\/p>\n

Arroyo will look to replace scoring lost by graduation of Alexandra Massier<\/strong> (team-high 42 goals), Virginia Smith<\/strong> (35 goals; team-high 35 steals) and Raney Remme<\/strong> (18 goals). Key to this transition are newcomers Orsi Hertzka<\/strong>, a Hungarian junior national team player, and goalies Carter Hawkins<\/strong> and Melany Marquez<\/strong>\u2014both of whom will back up senior starter Eirini Patras<\/strong> (132 saves; 6.72 GAA). In fact, defense was the 49ers greatest attribute; in 2018 they gave up a paltry 6 goals per game, second in The Big West to Hawai\u2019i. Can they keep that up in 2019?<\/p>\n

Key Matchup: UC Santa Barbara, Saturday, April 20, Santa Barbara, CA<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"ucsb\"With a strong start to their season already\u2014the Gauchos are 4-1 after hosting their own tournament this past weekend\u2014perhaps this is the season for UC Santa Barbara<\/a> to move up the Big West ladder. Junior Sarah Snyder<\/strong>, who in 2018 led the team with 49 goals, and seniors Kate Pipkin<\/strong> (44 goals, 35 assists; team-high 79 points) and Sarah Kreiser<\/strong> (44 goals, 33 steals) return; together they accounted for 134 of the Gauchos\u2019 251 goals.<\/p>\n

Add in some impact players, including sophomore Sami Stebbins<\/strong>, transfer Dara Bleiberg<\/strong> (from George Washington) and freshmen Amanda Legaspi<\/strong> plus Sarah Owens<\/strong>;\u00a0perhaps this is the year that Head Coach Serela Kay<\/strong> (fifth year at UCSB) gets her team back to The Big West title match for the first time since beating Hawai\u2019i in the 2015 final.<\/p>\n

Key Matchup: Hawai’i, Saturday, April 13, Santa Barbara, CA<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"csun\"#18 California State at Northridge<\/a> Head Coach Matt Warshaw<\/strong> has a tall task; replacing Sanchez<\/strong>, the greatest goal scorer in conference history. With 229 goals\u2014including 54 in just 25 matches\u2014the now-graduated Matador set a high bar for whoever succeeds her at CSUN.<\/p>\n

[Five Questions for Matt Warshaw, CSUN Head Women\u2019s Water Polo Coach]<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

That replacement may come in the person of Tori Wilson<\/strong>.\u00a0A transfer from Hartwick, the Ontario native was virtually unstoppable on offense, scoring 85 goals and 58 assists. She\u2019ll join a Matador squad that returns junior Madasonne Butler<\/strong> (20 goals; 35 exclusions drawn). Unfortunately, the next three leading scorers behind Sanchez\u2014Katelyn Fairchild<\/strong> (49 goals), Shannon Hovanesian<\/strong> (28 goals; team-high 40 assists and 53 steals) and Paula Abellan Garcia<\/strong> (21)\u2014also graduated; together they combined for 152 of CSUN\u2019s 260 goals.<\/p>\n

Warshaw has 10 upperclassmen and just two freshman; luckily, one of those returners is netminder\u00a0Emma Pfister<\/strong> (8.24 GAA in 12 appearances); the sophomore is the only goalie on Warshaw\u2019s roster now that Niki Van Vugt<\/strong> (216 saves) has also received her diploma.<\/p>\n

Key Matchup: Cal State East Bay, Saturday, April 12, Hayward, CA<\/strong><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s Note: The 2019 NCAA women\u2019s water polo season officially opened on Saturday, January 12th with the ASU Invitational at\u00a0Arizona State. Action continued last weekend for numerous NCAA varsity programs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4875,"featured_media":348434,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,12],"tags":[73590,73587,65991,1380,66516,554,65985,73589,3377,73591,66704,65987,73592,73588,54088,65992,65983,53020,65988,67702,66633,66517,67121],"class_list":["post-348367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-water-polo","tag-annie-kutt","tag-cal-state-university-northridge-water-polo","tag-csun","tag-dan-klatt","tag-elyse-lemay-lavoie","tag-gavin-arroyo","tag-hawaii-water-polo","tag-irene-gonzales","tag-jamey-wright","tag-kate-pipkin","tag-kathleen-schafle","tag-long-beach-state-water-polo","tag-madasonne-butler","tag-maddie-sanchez","tag-mary-brooks","tag-matt-warshaw","tag-maureen-cole","tag-sarah-snyder","tag-serela-kay","tag-tara-prentice","tag-tori-wilson","tag-uc-irvine-water-polo","tag-uc-santa-barbara-water-polo"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\r\n2019 Women\u2019s Water Polo Preview: The Big West Conference - 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