Berkeley, CA - The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) regular season and tournament champions will take on Biola in the NCAA Tournament's Opening Round on Wednesday afternoon from the University of California at 8:00 pm EST.
 

Last Time Out

On Sunday, April 28, the Seahawks punched their ticket to the big dance with a 9-8 win over the Marist Red Foxes in the MAAC Championship game at the McCann Natatorium.

Against the Red Foxes, senior Andrea Arias and junior Carlota Alonso combined to score seven of the Seahawks' nine points. 

Senior Grace Coleman netted the game-deciding goal with just under six minutes left in the contest.

Prior to that matchup, Wagner won its conference semifinals against Mount St. Mary's by a score of 16-9.

For the Seahawks, the 2024 conference title was the eighth in the last 11 seasons for the program. Most recently, the Green & White won the MAAC title back in 2022.
 

Season Summary

Wagner finished with a regular season record of 27-4, with a 12-0 mark in conference play. Every loss for the Seahawks occurred against a top-25 ranked team listed in the Collegiate Water Polo Association Poll.

Junior Carlota Alonso leads the nation in goals scored during the 2024 campaign with 113; concurrently, senior Mar Navarro is the country's leader in assists for the year, finishing with 76. Senior Andrea Arias is third in the nation in goals scored with 96.

Alonso and Arias were named members to the All-MAAC First Team for the 2024 season. For Alonso, this is her second straight year being listed on the conference's First Team. Arias' was tabbed to the MAAC's Second Team at the conclusion of the 2023 season.

Additionally, the MAAC named graduate student Pip Nash as the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. The Canberra, Australia native concluded her year with a team-high 24 field blocks and 35 steals.

Sophomore Francesca Sena received the conference's Goalkeeper of the Year nod after accumulating a 26-4 record in net with a grand total of 249 saves, 46 steals, and 17 assists during her second season on Grymes Hill.

Head Coach Josh Hower was named the MAAC's Coach of the Year by a unanimous vote. Hower is the second Wagner head coach in the last three seasons to earn the award. 

The Seahawks garnered two separate ten-game win streaks during the season, and are currently riding a seven-game win streak heading into their matchup against Biola.

As a team, the Green & White average 14.4 goals per game while holding their opponents to just 8.8 goals per game. Wagner's season shooting percentage sat at 51.7%.

On defense, the Seahawks collected a grand total of 405 steals and 81 field blocks throughout the course of the season.

Sena and freshman Jillian Hemming combined to deny 256 shots across their 33 games played. 

Junior Casey Taylor heads into the Opening Round with 19 goals, 18 assists, and 33 steals on the season.

Sophomore Magali Ogg added 38 goals and 512 assists across 68 shot attempts during her second year. 

Senior Grace Coleman scored 20 goals on an efficient  44 shots, while adding 19 assists and 20 steals.

Freshman Ana Arias finished the season with 33 goals which is good for fifth on the team.

Wagner In The Tournament

Overall, Wagner is 3-7 lifetime in the NCAA Tournament. In 2022, the Seahawks defeated Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Champions Salem University in the Opening-Round of the tournament by a score of 15 to 9.

The Seahawks picked up their other two tournament wins against UC San Diego in 2017 and 2018.

Since 2014, the Green & White have competed in every NCAA Tournament except in 2021 and 2023.

For Head Coach Josh Hower, this is his first tournament appearance while being at the helm of the Seahawks.

About The Tournament

The 2024 National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championship will be held at the University of California from Wednesday, May 8 to Sunday, May 12 at the Spieker Aquatics Complex. 

Along with Wagner and Biola, UCLA, Stanford, USC, Hawaii, California, and Fresno State make up the rest of the field.  

The National Championship game will be aired on ESPNU on Sunday, May 12 at 10 pm est.

This Opening Round matchup marks the first between Biola and Wagner.

Biola won the Western Water Polo Association to claim its automatic bid into the tournament. Biola defeated Cal State East Bay by a score of 12-11 in its conference title game.

The Eagles are 14-16 overall this season, with a 5-8 record at neutral sites. Biola's conference record stands at 5-1.

At the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Biola defeated the MAAC member LIU, 10-8, to advance to the First Round.

Biola is currently ranked as the #24 team in the country, according to the CWPA.

Head Coach Sarah Orozco is in her third season at the helm of Biola. She has accumulated an overall record of 45-47.
 

What's Next

The winner of the Opening-Round matchup will take on #1 UCLA in the First Round of the tournament on Friday, May 10. Ball-drop for Seahawks' potential First Round game is set for noon.