UCLA Outlasts Cal for NCAA Women’s Crown; First of Many Bruin Titles?
Last Sunday UCLA women’s water polo won it’s eighth NCAA title—the first of the Adam Wright era. There could be many more; the 2024 squad had 18 underclassmen, including freshman stars Lauren Steele and Panni Szegedi.
NCAA Women’s Polo Final: Cal, UCLA Up; Hawai’i, Stanford, Me Down
UCLA and Cal battle tonight for the 2024 NCAA Women’s Water Polo Championship. Stanford and Hawai’i were vanquished in the semifinals, meaning neither the Cardinal or USC will win for the first time in 14 seasons.
Don’t Cry for Me Tommy Trojan!
It’s been a tough season in Troy, with USC’s women’s water polo team ousted early from NCAAs by Stanford. The Cardinal, Cal and UCLA all advanced to today’s NCAA semifinals, joined by a Hawai’i squad seeking it’s first-ever national championship.
2024 NCAA Women’s Water Polo Tournament: Quarterfinals are Today
The 2024 NCAA Women’s Water Polo Tournament is underway! Today there are four quarterfinal matches at Cal. By Sunday a champion will be crowned, and it could be an historic moment for #2 Hawai’i.
It’s NCAA Women’s Water Polo Championship Time!
After a weekend of intense action, participants for the 2024 NCAA women’s tournament have been decided. In two weeks one of the world’s top polo competitions will take place in Berkeley, CA.
West Coast Water Polo Bubbles Up In New York City
A chance meeting with a Stanford-Water-Polo wearing fan on the Lower East Side spurs a NYC-soliloquy about the intrigue of West Coast polo during an Olympic year.
2024 Kalbus Invite: Change at the Top of NCAA Women’s Water Polo
Great times for the Bruins and Rainbow Wahine at the 2024 Barbara Kalbus Invitational. They’re in the final against Hawai’i—and UCLA fans are ecstatic!
Cal Water Polo, The Cutino Award and Greeks in New York City
What does a street festival in Brooklyn, Nikolaos Papanikolaou, the 2022 Cutino Award winner and water polo in NYC have in common? It’s all Greek!
A Perpetual Winner in the Water, Vavic Loses Varsity Blues Court Battle
In a blow to the sport in America, Jovan Vavic, the winningest water polo coach in NCAA history, was found guilty of accepting bribes in relation to the massive “Varsity Blues” admissions scandal.
Being John Vargas
John Vargas, Stanford men’s water polo coach the past 20 years, retired unexpectedly last week. After four decades—in a career that includes three NCAA titles and appearances as a player and coach for the U.S.— what’s next for one of America’s top polo strategists?
CWPA Top 25 Women’s Varsity Water Polo: There’s USC, Stanford… and Everyone Else
Last weekend all of the nation’s top women’s water polo teams were in action. An upset shaped this week’s CWPA Women’s Varsity Poll rankings, but USC & Stanford remain 1, 2.
LIU Brooklyn Has a New Men’s Coach. What Does it Mean For NYC Polo?
LIU has a new men’s water polo program—and has hired Bret Lathrope to run it. How might his arrival change the outlook for the sport in New York City?
Great Opening for Michigan Water Polo; For Arizona State, Not So Much
The 1st matches of the 2022 NCAA women’s water polo season took place in Santa Barbara and Tempe—and surprises abound, with Michigan beating #7 UCI and Wagner topping #9 UC San Diego.
NCAA Women’s Water Polo Starts Today but COVID Concerns Persist
A new women’s water polo season is set to begin today but looming over the sport is the same threat from the last two years: COVID-19, which has already caused match cancellations.
Top Five Stories from 2021: No 5—Water Polo is Back!
Man w/a Hat is looking at the 5 biggest water polo stories for 2021. Up first; after a year of COVID-19-related cancellations, a slew of major tournaments took place.
View From the East: Princeton Emerges as Region’s Best
By virtue of beating #17 Fordham in the 1st round of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Water Polo Tournament, #11 (T) Princeton moves on to the quarterfinals and mighty UCLA. The Tigers are but one of many stories that defined East Coast men’s polo this season.
CWPA Top 20 Week Two: No Stopping Cal, Stanford, UCLA or USC
Six teams remain unbeaten in NCAA men’s varsity water polo; four of them—Cal, Stanford, UCLA and USC—are in the MPSF and occupy the top spots in this week’s CWPA Top 20 poll.
Maud Megens is Good... but is She Good Enough to Topple Team USA?
USC’s Maud Megens dunked UCLA with six goals in a 18-9 blowout win in the 2021 NCAA Women’s Water Polo final. But can she deliver against the Americans when it matters most—at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics?
Bruins vs. Trojans: Was There REALLY Any Other Way to end the 2021 Women’s Water Polo Season?
After a season marked by COVID-19 challenges, the final match of the 2021 women’s collegiate water polo season comes down to cross-town rivals UCLA vs. USC.
No Surprises THIS Year; An All-MPSF Final Four at 2021 NCAA Women’s Water Polo Championship
For the fourth year in a row, it’s an all-MPSF Final Four at the NCAA Women’s Water Polo Tournament. Is that a good thing?