[M T]

Reigning National Champion Stanford is ranked #1 in Women's Water Polo this year.  I was out of town so I missed the opening 3 WWP matches this past weekend at a tourney at Cal.  The closest was a 9-6 victory at #4 Cal.  It was tied 6-6 late in the third period.  Also, Coach John Tanner earned his 600th victory (601-88, 0.872, 25+ seasons, 8 NC) over the weekend.

This coming weekend (Feb 4-5) is a 5-team Stanford Invitational .  We play #10 ASU (9:30AM) & #7 Michigan (5:30PM) on Saturday, and #4 Cal (again; 12:30PM) on Sunday.  (Note the 9:30AM game is in one of the 50m pools, not in the stadium.)
The weather for Saturday looks dry but 50-ish at game times.  Sunday may have some drizzle, but mid-50s.  If you can't come, all 3 games will be on Stanford Live Stream.


This is one of a very few opportunities to watch one of the teams that has a good chance at extending the National Championship streak.
The next match at Stanford won't be until mid-March, with the last two in April.

The team is led by two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and 3x All-American Aria Fischer.  Both Fischer and 2x All-American Ryann Neuschel sat out 2020 and 2021 to train for the Olympics.  Also on the team are 2x All-American Jewel Roemer, All-American goalie Maya Avital, and All-American Honorable Mention Hannah Constandse.

On the Farm on Saturday, you can also catch Women's Tennis hosting Pepperdine and Men's Swimming hosting USC, both at noon. (I believe WWP, WTennis, and MSwim are free)
Or you can watch WGym host #28 Arizona at 6PM ($5-10).

On Sunday, the 12:30 match vs Cal is up against the noon broadcast of the WBB @ Washington.  I'll be recording the broadcast of WBB and watch it later.

The most recent (Jan 25) CWPA poll had these rankings and votes.

1 Stanford University  99
2 University of Southern California 97
3 University of California-Los Angeles  90
4 University of California   89

[M T]

Reigning National Champion Stanford is ranked #1 in Women's Water Polo this year.  I was out of town so I missed the opening 3 WWP matches this past weekend at a tourney at Cal.  The closest was a 9-6 victory at #4 Cal.  It was tied 6-6 late in the third period.  Also, Coach John Tanner earned his 600th victory (601-88, 0.872, 25+ seasons, 8 NC) over the weekend.

This coming weekend (Feb 4-5) is a 5-team Stanford Invitational .  We play #10 ASU (9:30AM) & #7 Michigan (5:30PM) on Saturday, and #4 Cal (again; 12:30PM) on Sunday.  (Note the 9:30AM game is in one of the 50m pools, not in the stadium.)
The weather for Saturday looks dry but 50-ish at game times.  Sunday may have some drizzle, but mid-50s.  If you can't come, all 3 games will be on Stanford Live Stream.


This is one of a very few opportunities to watch one of the teams that has a good chance at extending the National Championship streak.
The next match at Stanford won't be until mid-March, with the last two in April.

The team is led by two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and 3x All-American Aria Fischer.  Both Fischer and 2x All-American Ryann Neuschel sat out 2020 and 2021 to train for the Olympics.  Also on the team are 2x All-American Jewel Roemer, All-American goalie Maya Avital, and All-American Honorable Mention Hannah Constandse.

On the Farm on Saturday, you can also catch Women's Tennis hosting Pepperdine and Men's Swimming hosting USC, both at noon. (I believe WWP, WTennis, and MSwim are free)
Or you can watch WGym host #28 Arizona at 6PM ($5-10).

On Sunday, the 12:30 match vs Cal is up against the noon broadcast of the WBB @ Washington.  I'll be recording the broadcast of WBB and watch it later.

The most recent (Jan 25) CWPA poll had these rankings and votes.

1 Stanford University  99
2 University of Southern California 97
3 University of California-Los Angeles  90
4 University of California   89

[BobK]

Thanks for the updates.

[BobK]

Thanks for the updates.

[cardcrimson]

Great updates. Jewel Roemer is a local girl, and quite a player. Went undefeated her last two years at Acalanes. Her dad is now coaching at Miramonte, and has gone undefeated his first two years coaching there. Quite a family. . . .

[cardcrimson]

Great updates. Jewel Roemer is a local girl, and quite a player. Went undefeated her last two years at Acalanes. Her dad is now coaching at Miramonte, and has gone undefeated his first two years coaching there. Quite a family. . . .

[M T]

In the 3 games this weekend, Stanford seems to have started slowly in each before going on a run.
I missed the first game, watched a horrible stream of the second, and was in person for the third.
#10 ASU: Stanford trailed 4-2, then went up 8-4, and won  12-8
#6 Michigan:  Tied 2-2, then went up 10-2, and won 14-4.  Stanford failed on 3 of 4  5-meter penalty shots!
#4 Cal: Stanford was down 0-2 early, and lead 5-4 at the half, and then outscored them 7-1 in the 3rd period, winning 14-8.

30 goals over the weekend by 11 players:
Welcome, Jenna Flynn!  7 goals for the freshman from San Jose this weekend, after 5 goals in the previous 3 games.

Ryann Neushel 3+3+2 = 8
Jenna Flynn 3+0+4 = 7
Jewel Roemer: 2+0+2 = 4
Aria Fischer 2+2+0 = 4
Katie Lyons  0+3+1 = 4
Skyler Jones 0+1+2 = 3
Christina Hicks 0+1+2 = 3
Maggie Hawkins  0+3+0 = 3
Sophia Wallace 0+1+1 = 2
Hannah Constandse 1+0+0 = 1
Celeste Wijnbelt 1+0+0 = 1

The Stanford Live Stream was terrible. The video was quite blotchy. You could just make out who was on what team, but not the numbers.  And, the commentator was the one I don't care for.

[M T]

In the 3 games this weekend, Stanford seems to have started slowly in each before going on a run.
I missed the first game, watched a horrible stream of the second, and was in person for the third.
#10 ASU: Stanford trailed 4-2, then went up 8-4, and won  12-8
#6 Michigan:  Tied 2-2, then went up 10-2, and won 14-4.  Stanford failed on 3 of 4  5-meter penalty shots!
#4 Cal: Stanford was down 0-2 early, and lead 5-4 at the half, and then outscored them 7-1 in the 3rd period, winning 14-8.

30 goals over the weekend by 11 players:
Welcome, Jenna Flynn!  7 goals for the freshman from San Jose this weekend, after 5 goals in the previous 3 games.

Ryann Neushel 3+3+2 = 8
Jenna Flynn 3+0+4 = 7
Jewel Roemer: 2+0+2 = 4
Aria Fischer 2+2+0 = 4
Katie Lyons  0+3+1 = 4
Skyler Jones 0+1+2 = 3
Christina Hicks 0+1+2 = 3
Maggie Hawkins  0+3+0 = 3
Sophia Wallace 0+1+1 = 2
Hannah Constandse 1+0+0 = 1
Celeste Wijnbelt 1+0+0 = 1

The Stanford Live Stream was terrible. The video was quite blotchy. You could just make out who was on what team, but not the numbers.  And, the commentator was the one I don't care for.

[cardcrimson]

#6 Michigan:  Tied 2-2, then went up 10-2, and won 14-4.  Stanford failed on 3 of 4  5-meter penalty shots!

Welcome, Jenna Flynn!  7 goals for the freshman from San Jose this weekend, after 5 goals in the previous 3 games.

Give some credit to the Michigan goalie. . . .

Jenna also played with Jewel on 680 in the East Bay. Seems to be a quality program.

[cardcrimson]

#6 Michigan:  Tied 2-2, then went up 10-2, and won 14-4.  Stanford failed on 3 of 4  5-meter penalty shots!

Welcome, Jenna Flynn!  7 goals for the freshman from San Jose this weekend, after 5 goals in the previous 3 games.

Give some credit to the Michigan goalie. . . .

Jenna also played with Jewel on 680 in the East Bay. Seems to be a quality program.

[M T]

Stanford has just won the championship match in a tournament at UCI by beating #2 USC 11-10 on a goal with 0:10 left.
In the tournament, Stanford defeated #4 Cal for the third time this year.

The championship game was tight. Stanford lead by 2 early, but was down by 2 in the 4th quarter.

[M T]

Stanford has just won the championship match in a tournament at UCI by beating #2 USC 11-10 on a goal with 0:10 left.
In the tournament, Stanford defeated #4 Cal for the third time this year.

The championship game was tight. Stanford lead by 2 early, but was down by 2 in the 4th quarter.

[81alum]

How will USC and UCLA fare playing water polo in the Big 10?  I think I read that Michigan and Indiana have teams.  Is that it?

[81alum]

How will USC and UCLA fare playing water polo in the Big 10?  I think I read that Michigan and Indiana have teams.  Is that it?

[Spiny_Norman]

Stanford has just won the championship match in a tournament at UCI by beating #2 USC 11-10 on a goal with 0:10 left.
In the tournament, Stanford defeated #4 Cal for the third time this year.

The championship game was tight. Stanford lead by 2 early, but was down by 2 in the 4th quarter.

Stanford and USC are head and shoulders the 2 best teams in the country. They could play as many as 3 more times this season - regular season (April 8) in LA, in the MPSF tournament and at the NCAAs.

[Spiny_Norman]

Stanford has just won the championship match in a tournament at UCI by beating #2 USC 11-10 on a goal with 0:10 left.
In the tournament, Stanford defeated #4 Cal for the third time this year.

The championship game was tight. Stanford lead by 2 early, but was down by 2 in the 4th quarter.

Stanford and USC are head and shoulders the 2 best teams in the country. They could play as many as 3 more times this season - regular season (April 8) in LA, in the MPSF tournament and at the NCAAs.

[CompSci87]

How will USC and UCLA fare playing water polo in the Big 10?  I think I read that Michigan and Indiana have teams.  Is that it?

I suppose USC and UCLA could remain in the MPSF for water polo. Anyone know what they are doing?

[CompSci87]

How will USC and UCLA fare playing water polo in the Big 10?  I think I read that Michigan and Indiana have teams.  Is that it?

I suppose USC and UCLA could remain in the MPSF for water polo. Anyone know what they are doing?

[cardcrimson]

Congrats to the girls! SC is tough, but we're pretty stacked, too.

FWIW, for women's polo, Indiana is currently in the MPSF, as is UCLA, USC and Stanford. Michigan is currently in the CWPA.

[cardcrimson]

Congrats to the girls! SC is tough, but we're pretty stacked, too.

FWIW, for women's polo, Indiana is currently in the MPSF, as is UCLA, USC and Stanford. Michigan is currently in the CWPA.

[BobK]

Way back both usc and ucla asked for certain sports to stay west. WWP was one
But that was now long ago

[BobK]

Way back both usc and ucla asked for certain sports to stay west. WWP was one
But that was now long ago

[akiddoc]

Stanford scored 3 goals in the last 2 minutes to win.

[akiddoc]

Stanford scored 3 goals in the last 2 minutes to win.

[Treebound]

Way back both usc and ucla asked for certain sports to stay west.  WWP was one
But that was now long ago

I kind of hope they are denied.  These schools have opted out of the Pac12, so let them go and play their new midwestern foes.  The weaker schedule should hurt them in the long run...not to mention the brutal travel schedule.   They chose to leave the Pac12, so don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[Treebound]

Way back both usc and ucla asked for certain sports to stay west.  WWP was one
But that was now long ago

I kind of hope they are denied.  These schools have opted out of the Pac12, so let them go and play their new midwestern foes.  The weaker schedule should hurt them in the long run...not to mention the brutal travel schedule.   They chose to leave the Pac12, so don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[cardcrimson]

Stanford scored 3 goals in the last 2 minutes to win.

That's not an easy feat to accomplish. Fantastic.

[cardcrimson]

Stanford scored 3 goals in the last 2 minutes to win.

That's not an easy feat to accomplish. Fantastic.

[CompSci87]

Way back both usc and ucla asked for certain sports to stay west.  WWP was one
But that was now long ago

I kind of hope they are denied.  These schools have opted out of the Pac12, so let them go and play their new midwestern foes.  The weaker schedule should hurt them in the long run...not to mention the brutal travel schedule.   They chose to leave the Pac12, so don't let the door hit you on the way out.

WWP isn't a Pac-12 sport, though. It's MPSF.

[CompSci87]

Way back both usc and ucla asked for certain sports to stay west.  WWP was one
But that was now long ago

I kind of hope they are denied.  These schools have opted out of the Pac12, so let them go and play their new midwestern foes.  The weaker schedule should hurt them in the long run...not to mention the brutal travel schedule.   They chose to leave the Pac12, so don't let the door hit you on the way out.

WWP isn't a Pac-12 sport, though. It's MPSF.

[ca245]

Would be odd for the BIG to have two of its members compete in WWP in one conference (Mich and Ind in the CWPA) and another two in another conference (SC and UCLA in the MPSF).

[ca245]

Would be odd for the BIG to have two of its members compete in WWP in one conference (Mich and Ind in the CWPA) and another two in another conference (SC and UCLA in the MPSF).

[cardcrimson]

Would be odd for the BIG to have two of its members compete in WWP in one conference (Mich and Ind in the CWPA) and another two in another conference (SC and UCLA in the MPSF).

Indiana is in the MPSF already.

[cardcrimson]

Would be odd for the BIG to have two of its members compete in WWP in one conference (Mich and Ind in the CWPA) and another two in another conference (SC and UCLA in the MPSF).

Indiana is in the MPSF already.

[ca245]

Would be odd for the BIG to have two of its members compete in WWP in one conference (Mich and Ind in the CWPA) and another two in another conference (SC and UCLA in the MPSF).

Indiana is in the MPSF already.

Correct. I saw that Michigan was in the CWPA and automatically assumed that Indiana would be in the same conference.

[ca245]

Would be odd for the BIG to have two of its members compete in WWP in one conference (Mich and Ind in the CWPA) and another two in another conference (SC and UCLA in the MPSF).

Indiana is in the MPSF already.

Correct. I saw that Michigan was in the CWPA and automatically assumed that Indiana would be in the same conference.

[ColoradoTree]

I'm not sure what the current threshhold is, but back when Penn State added hockey, it made for 6 men's hockey programs in the Big Ten, which was then the minimum for the conference to sponsor a sport. (It also destroyed rich, traditional rivalries that meant a lot more in the hockey world than the new matchups between teams that historically had been rivals on the field or the court but not on the ice.) 

So, if there are now four women's water polo programs in the Big Ten footprint, they might only need two more to cannibalize the MPSF and leave Stanford out to dry in terms of quality conference matchups.

[ColoradoTree]

I'm not sure what the current threshhold is, but back when Penn State added hockey, it made for 6 men's hockey programs in the Big Ten, which was then the minimum for the conference to sponsor a sport. (It also destroyed rich, traditional rivalries that meant a lot more in the hockey world than the new matchups between teams that historically had been rivals on the field or the court but not on the ice.) 

So, if there are now four women's water polo programs in the Big Ten footprint, they might only need two more to cannibalize the MPSF and leave Stanford out to dry in terms of quality conference matchups.

[Jamesy]

I'm not sure what the current threshhold is, but back when Penn State added hockey, it made for 6 men's hockey programs in the Big Ten, which was then the minimum for the conference to sponsor a sport. (It also destroyed rich, traditional rivalries that meant a lot more in the hockey world than the new matchups between teams that historically had been rivals on the field or the court but not on the ice.) 

So, if there are now four women's water polo programs in the Big Ten footprint, they might only need two more to cannibalize the MPSF and leave Stanford out to dry in terms of quality conference matchups.

I think it'd be fine if UCLA/USC left the MPSF. The Big 4 (Stanford, Cal, UCLA, USC) would still play against each other in the non-conference invitational tournaments (like the one this past weekend) and we'd still have Cal as an in-conference matchup.

[Jamesy]

I'm not sure what the current threshhold is, but back when Penn State added hockey, it made for 6 men's hockey programs in the Big Ten, which was then the minimum for the conference to sponsor a sport. (It also destroyed rich, traditional rivalries that meant a lot more in the hockey world than the new matchups between teams that historically had been rivals on the field or the court but not on the ice.) 

So, if there are now four women's water polo programs in the Big Ten footprint, they might only need two more to cannibalize the MPSF and leave Stanford out to dry in terms of quality conference matchups.

I think it'd be fine if UCLA/USC left the MPSF. The Big 4 (Stanford, Cal, UCLA, USC) would still play against each other in the non-conference invitational tournaments (like the one this past weekend) and we'd still have Cal as an in-conference matchup.