After a strong 2017 campaign that saw the Indiana Water Polo team finish with a 21-10 record and an appearance in the quarterfinals of the Collegiate Water Polo Association Championship, the Hoosiers will begin the new season ranked at No. 13 in the preseason poll released by the CWPA.
The Hoosiers hope to improve upon last season’s solid performance with help from their groups of returnees, headlined by senior goalkeeper Jessica Gaudreault and senior defender Kelly Matthews. Matthews led the team with 61 goals last year, but sophomore attacker Mollie Williams will be one of the featured attacks in this team after her breakout freshman season that saw her nab 42 goals and 27 assists.
IU’s schedule is no slouch, as the Hoosiers will take on their fair share of ranked teams this season against No. 5 Arizona State, No. 8 Michigan and No. 17 Harvard.
Indiana’s 2018 season will start on Saturday, as the Hoosiers will travel to Santa Barbara, California to participate in the UC Santa Barbara Invitational. IU will take on Fresno State at 2:20 p.m. and UC San Diego at 7:30 p.m.
Sean Mintert
