Water Polo 2022 Season Preview
Springfield, OH – The Wittenberg Women's Water Polo team heads into the 2022 season led by seniors, Kiersten Heverly and Emma Menjivar from the inaugural class, helping found the program in 2018. The Tigers come off a 6-2 campaign in 2021, where the Red and White went unbeaten in Collegiate Water Polo Association action, posting an impressive 5-0 record.
Heading into the season, the Tigers earn a top 10 ranking in the Collegiate Water Polo Association National Preseason Polls. Wittenberg rounds out the top 10 in NCAA Division III national, earning 25 points, following close to Occidental College with 67 points. The Tigers head into the 2022 season ranked second in the CWPA preseason conference poll, just behind the 2021 Champion
Wittenberg will open the season in their home pool, hosting NCAA Division I Mount St. Marys and Division II Mercyhurst on Saturday, February 5. The Tigers will hit the road for seven road matches to close out the month of February, opening up CWPA conference action on the road at Grove City for three matches taking on the host Wolverines to open the weekend. Wittenberg will wrap up the weekend with a double-header on Saturday, with matches against the Presidents of Washington & Jefferson University and the Penn. State Behrend Lions. The Tigers will head out west for their Spring Break trip, playing four games in two days. The Red and White will faceoff against Occidental and Caltech on day one of competition. Wittenberg closes out the trip with games against California Baptist and Azusa Pacific. The Tigers will close out the month of march, starting up a six-game home stand, hosting Austin College, Macalester College, Carthage College and Augustana University for a CWPA regional. Closing out their 2022 homestand, the Tigers welcome in Gannon University and McKendree College on the first Saturday of April for their final home weekend of the season. The Red and White will hit the road, traveling to Kenosha, Wisconsin for the Carthage Round Robin, facing off against CWPA conference opponents before postseason play kicks off.
Highlighting the Tigers success was a trio of All-America honorees which included, Kailey Cordova, along with newcomers Grace McLaughlin on the attack and Jordan Brough in the goal. Earning their way to the CWPA Championship game, the Tigers closed out the 2021 CWPA DIII Championships collecting six All-Tournament accolades. McLaughlin earned Rookie of the Tournament along with First Team Honors. Menjivar was the second Tiger to be tabbed with First Team honors. On the All-Tournament Second Team for the Tigers was Cordova and Savannah Cross added to the list of Tiger honorees.
Out of the water, the Tigers exemplified what it meant to be a student-athlete with Cordova, Heverly and Menjivar each earning Academic All-America status.