POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The No. 22 Wagner women's water polo team is set to begin its 2026 MAAC Championship run in the semifinal round against No. 2 seed Villanova on Saturday, April 11 at 1 p.m at McCann Natatorium, hosted by Marist University. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
The Non-Conference Slate
Wagner concluded its non-conference slate with a 7-10 record, opening the 2026 season against a challenging nationally ranked schedule. The Seahawks faced No. 13 Harvard and No. 23 Marist at the Bruno Classic, before competing at the Princeton Invitational and Wildcat Invite against multiple ranked opponents.
Despite early losses to teams such as No. 8 Indiana, No. 15 Princeton, and No. 20 California Baptist, Wagner picked up key wins throughout tournament play. The Seahawks earned victories over Gannon (16–3), Iona (16–10), Bucknell (16–10), Pomona-Pitzer (14–9), Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (14-13), and secured a ranked win over No. 20 Brown (14–13).
National Recognition
Wagner opened the season ranked No. 20 in the CWPA National Preseason Poll and remained top-24 for the rest of the season.
Senior goalkeeper
Francesca Sena received national recognition, earning a spot on the Cutino Award Watch List, which highlights the top collegiate players in the country. Sena was one of just 20 athletes selected nationwide and became the fourth consecutive Seahawk to earn the distinction, following
Carlota Alonso (2025), Andrea Arias (2024), and Abbey Simshouser (2023).
MAAC Play
In conference play, Wagner finished 6–2 while outscoring opponents by an average of 5.3 goals per game in its wins. Over the past decade, Wagner has compiled a remarkable 114–4 record in MAAC regular-season play, with its only losses coming to Marist and Villanova this season, La Salle last season, and Marist in 2015.
MAAC Awards
Junior Ana Arias Pérez was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year while also earning All-MAAC Second Team honors after recording 30 goals, 38 assists, and 35 steals.
Senior captain
Magali Ogg earned All-MAAC First Team honors after leading the team with 65 goals to go along with 23 assists and 68 steals. Ogg also earned two MAAC Offensive Player of the Week awards during the season.
Senior captain and goalkeeper
Francesca Sena collected All-MAAC Second Team honors after posting 229 saves and earning three MAAC Defensive Player of the Week selections.
Junior
Catherine Mentz was named to the All-MAAC Third Team after tallying 52 goals and 77 earned exclusions, emerging as a key offensive contributor.
Scouting the Wildcats
Villanova enters the MAAC Championship as the No. 2 seed after posting a 20–8 overall record, including a 7–1 mark in conference play. Nationally, the Wildcats are ranked No. 24 in the CWPA Poll. Villanova's lone conference loss came to Marist on March 21, a 14–13 defeat.
On March 14, the Wildcats earned their first win over Wagner since March 28, 2015, defeating the Seahawks 15–14 in overtime.
During conference play, Villanova averaged 15.63 goals per game while allowing just 10.88 goals per contest.
Villanova's sophomore attacker, Riley Hull, was named the MAAC Offensive Player of the Year. Hull recorded 82 goals and 41 assists during her stellar season. She earned 93 exclusions drawn, 19 penalties drawn, and had 44 steals, while averaging four major fouls drawn per game and shooting at 53 percent. Last season Hull earned the MAAC Rookie of the Year award while being named to the All-MAAC second team.
Last season, Villanova entered the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the Blue Division and earned an opening-round win over Iona before falling to Marist in the semifinal round.
Seahawks in the MAAC Championship
Wagner is aiming to win three straight MAAC Championships for the first time since its six-year title run from 2014 to 2019. The Seahawks have claimed nine of the last 11 championships and 12 titles overall.
A win on Saturday would send Wagner to its 19th MAAC Championship appearance on Sunday, April 12 at 1 p.m., where it would face the winner of No. 1 Marist and No. 4 La Salle. The championship game will also air live on ESPN+.
