April 30, 2001
Official NCAA Championship Site
STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford University, UCLA, Loyola Marymount University and Brown University have been selected as the four teams to participate in the first-ever NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship to be held May 12-13, 2001 at Stanford's newly renovated Avery Aquatic Center. Three of the four teams qualified with automatic berths by winning their conference championships, while the fourth spot was awarded as an at-large bid.
Stanford, which became the first women's water polo team in NCAA history to complete an undefeated regular season, earned the No. 1 seed after winning the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) title in Hawaii on Sunday. UCLA earned the at-large bid and is the No. 2 seed following a runner-up finish at the MPSF Championships. LMU is the No. 3 seed and won the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) championship. Brown was awarded the No. 4 seed after claiming the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) title.
In the MPSF finals, Stanford defeated UCLA 8-5 to win its second straight MPSF title. It was also the fourth time this year that the Cardinal has beaten the Bruins. In the WWPA championships, LMU scored a goal with :26 seconds left to take the title over UC Davis by a score of 7-6. In the CWPA title game, Brown came from behind to defeat Princeton 11-10 in double overtime for its first conference championship.
The NCAA Championship on May 12-13 will be a single elimination tournament with losers' bracket to determine places three and four. The first game on Saturday will feature top-seeded Stanford (26-0) and fourth-seeded Brown (21-9) while the second game slates second-seeded UCLA (16-4) and third-seeded LMU (22-6). The winners of both games will compete for the National Championship on Sunday.
Tickets are still available for the event, which is expected to be a sellout, and can be purchased by calling 1-800-STANFORD. Additional information can also be obtained through the web at www.gostanford.com on the women's water polo site.
On Friday, May 11, First Vice President of the International Olympic Committee Anita L. DeFrantz will be visiting Stanford as the keynote speaker for the banquet preceding the NCAA Championship. The banquet will be held at the Sheraton in Palo Alto. There is a limited number of tickets available for purchase by the general public and will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. To order banquet tickets or for more information, contact Jenny Claypool at 650/725.7244.
On May 12-13, Stanford is also hosting the first ever symposium for female water polo coaches. The focus will be on developing coaching skills and enhancing professional development for coaches of all levels. For more information, contact Susan Ortwein (650/725.9016 or sortwein@stanford.edu).
Women's Water Polo NCAA Championship May 12-13, 2001 Avery Aquatic Center Stanford, Calif.
Saturday, May 12 No. 1 Stanford vs. No. 4 Brown5:30 p.m. No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 3 LMU7:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 13 Consolation Game3:30 p.m. Championship Game5:00 p.m.
*Tickets - Call 1-800-STANFORD *Banquet - Friday, May 11 @ 6:30 p.m., Sheraton in Palo Alto (Contact Jenny Claypool 650/725.7244) *Symposium - Saturday and Sunday, May 12-13 @ 9:00 a.m. (Contact Susan Ortwein 650/725.9016)