Presidents Water Polo Ranked In Two Preseason Polls
WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College women’s water polo team appeared in a pair of 2013 preseason polls released Wednesday.
The Presidents are the 10th-ranked team in the Division III coaches national poll. Pomona-Pitzer is preseason top-ranked squad, while Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Occidental, Redlands and Cal Lutheran round out the top five. Also ahead of W&J in the poll are Whittier, La Verne, Chapman and Grove City.
The CWPA Conference Top 5 poll lists Grove City as the No. 1 team, while W&J and Connecticut College are tied for second. Macalester is fourth and Carthage fifth.
Second-year Head Coach Jay O’Neil returns nine letter winners from last year’s 11-5 team which placed 10th in the final national poll. O’Neil was named the CWPA Coach of the Year after leading Washington & Jefferson to a runner-up finish at the Division III Eastern Championships.
Leading the group of returnees is 2012 Honorable-Mention All-America junior Catherine Villa. She was the team’s second-leading scorer with 29 goals and also earned all-conference laurels. Sophomore Sara Boldt is also back after being chosen as the Conference Freshman of the Year.
Washington & Jefferson boasts back-to-back winning seasons and has won at least 10 matches every year since 2008. The Presidents open the season on Feb. 23 at the Indiana University Fluid Four Tournament in Bloomington, Ind. Opponents and times have yet to be determined.
