USC Tops 2019 MPSF Women's Water Polo Coaches' Poll
Photo: Defending MPSF and NCAA Champion USC (Photo by Catharyn Hayne)
2019 MPSF Women's Water Polo Preseason Coaches' Poll
USC TOPS 2019 MPSF WOMEN’S WATER POLO COACHES’ POLL
Defending MPSF and NCAA Champion USC placed on top of the 2019 preseason MPSF Women’s Water Polo Coaches’ poll, collecting the maximum possible totals of 36 points and six first-place votes. Winners of three of the last six conference and national championships, the Trojans welcome back 2018 MPSF Newcomer of the Year Paige Hauschild along with Cutino Award winner and MPSF Player of the Year Amanda Longan in goal. Two other 2018 All-Americans also return in Maud Megens and Denise Mammolito.
Stanford was picked second with 31 points and the remaining first-place vote. The Cardinal reached the title game in both the 2018 MPSF and NCAA Tournament. Stanford returns its four leading goal scorers from a year ago in Makenzie Fischer (67), Kat Klass (39), Madison Berggren (36) and Aria Fischer (35) and welcomes back more than 80 percent of its total scoring.
UCLA took third in the poll with 26 points, coming off an NCAA Semifinal appearance. The Bruins return their top-three scorers and goalkeeper from that team, led by All-Americans Maddie Musselman (53 goals) and Carlee Kapana (9.21 SPG).
California placed in the middle of the pack with 20 points. The Bears reached the NCAA Semifinals a year ago with four All-Americans who do not return. All-Americans Emma Wright, Kitty Lynn Joustra and Madison Tagg are each back, however, to lead the 2019 squad.
Arizona State was fifth with 17 points, ranked No. 5 in the final 2018 national poll to equal the second-highest finish in program history. Back for the Sun Devils are prolific scorers in Bente Rogge and Maud Koopman.
MPSF Newcomer Indiana was projected sixth with nine points, while San Jose State was right behind with eight points. The Hoosiers won 25 games last year as members of the CWPA, and return Megan Abarta (31 goals, 18 assists) and Joelle Nacouzi (30 goals, 33 assists). The Spartans, meanwhile, will be one of the youngest teams in the nation in 2019 with nine freshmen and seven sophomores, though do return Lili Urvari as the top returning scorer (26 goals).
First sprint to the 2019 season is January 12, before the first conference game kicks-off on March 3. Stanford University is this year’s site of the MPSF Championship Tournament (April 26-28), where all seven teams will compete for a conference title and entry to the NCAA Tournament (also hosted by Stanford; May 10-12). Since the inaugural season of MPSF Women’s Water Polo in 1996, the MPSF has captured all 23 national championships.
Rank Team Points (First-Place) 2018 Team Record 2018 MPSF Finish/Postseason
1 USC 36 (6) 26-1 Overall; 5-0 MPSF #1/MPSF & NCAA Champion
2 Stanford 31 (1) 20-4 Overall; 3-2 MPSF #3/MPSF & NCAA Final
3 UCLA 26 23-8 Overall; 2-3 MPSF #4/NCAA Semifinal
4 California 20 20-6 Overall; 4-1 MPSF #2/NCAA Semifinal
5 Arizona State 17 16-9 Overall; 1-4 MPSF #5
6 Indiana 9 25-9 Overall; 5-3 CWPA #4 (CWPA)
7 San Jose State 8 9-19 Overall; 0-5 MPSF #6