Visions of defending its national title come into focus in a
mere 10 days for the UCLA women’s water polo team.
The third-seeded Bruins (26-4) will open the NCAA Tournament,
which is scheduled to take place May 12 to 14 in Davis, against a
familiar team in sixth-seeded Hartwick.
UCLA faced Hartwick in the middle of the season and disposed of
the Hawks easily, 16-3. But UCLA coach Adam Krikorian will not let
his Bruins look past them.
“I don’t think we can take them lightly,”
Krikorian said. “They did a nice job against Michigan and
beat them by three goals. We can’t expect to roll over this
team. They’re not Wagner (UCLA defeated Wagner in the first
round 22-2 in last year’s tournament).”
Despite dropping back-to-back games to end the regular season,
USC (25-2) was given the top seed and will face eighth-seeded
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
Stanford (22-4), who won the MPSF Conference Championship game,
sits as the second seed and will tango with seventh-seeded
Marist.
Fourth-seeded Hawai’i snuck into the NCAA Tournament,
earning the last tournament at-large bid in part because of their
2-0 record in head-to-head matchups with Loyola Marymount.
Hawai’i will face UC Davis.
This is the second season in which the NCAA has implemented an
eight-team format.
This year’s NCAA Tournament features four new teams
““ UC Davis, Marist, Hartwick and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Of
last year’s participants, Redlands, Wagner, Loyola Marymount
and Michigan are missing from this year’s tournament.
“It’s a good sign for our sport,” Krikorian
said. “Anytime there’s that much parity where any team
can win a championship, and in those respective conferences,
it’s great.
“Congratulations to Marist, Claremont and UC Davis. I
haven’t really followed those teams, but I don’t think
either one of them were favored to win their conference. It shows
you anything can happen.”
For the first time, Davis will play host to this year’s
national tournament. Also, the Aggies will make their first NCAA
Tournament appearance after edging out LMU, 8-7, in the Western
Water Polo Association title game.
On display will also be the Ted and Rand Schaal Aquatics Center,
which opened in January 2006. The aquatics center is an outdoor
facility that can seat approximately 500 spectators.
“Being able to play NCAAs at our own pool ““ I
couldn’t script it better,” said UC Davis coach Jamey
Wright in a statement on the school’s Web site. “There
are going to be great teams there; we are going to have our hands
full.”