The Washington & Jefferson College women’s water polo team is set to make history as they compete in the USA Water Polo Division III Nationals this weekend. The tournament will take place at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, marking the team’s inaugural appearance in the national Final Four.
Upcoming Semifinals
As they embark on this prestigious journey, W&J (14-7) will face Pomona-Pitzer (23-10) in the semifinals on Saturday at 5 p.m. Joining them in the competition are Augustana (15-8) and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (19-10), who will battle it out in the other semifinal. The finals are scheduled for Sunday.
Performance Highlights
Achieving a ranking of ninth in the Women’s Varsity Division III Top 10 and third in the Women’s Varsity CWPA Division III Top 5 has showcased the strong performance of the W&J team this season. This event marks W&J’s second visit to Rock Island; they previously competed there in the Collegiate Water Polo Association Championships held from April 11-13. During that tournament, they advanced to the championship match after notable victories against Carthage (16-14) and Macalester (9-6), before facing a tough loss against Augustana, ending the game 10-7. This second-place finish was the seventh time W&J has been the runner-up in the CWPA tournament.
Cream of the Crop Recognitions
The success of the team has been complemented by individual accolades. W&J head coach Nikola Malezanov was honored as the CWPA Coach of the Year. Furthermore, Emme Ratcliff earned a spot on the All-CWPA first team and was named the CWPA Rookie of the Year. Ratcliff made waves this season with a standout performance, scoring 11 goals in a single match against Grove City.
Veteran Contributions
Joining Ratcliff on the All-CWPA first team is senior Emma Halle, who netted an impressive 60 goals during the regular season, contributing significantly to the team’s success.
