Pomona-Pitzer Wins 2025 NCAA Women’s DIII National Championship

Rock Island, IL – May 5 – The USA Water Polo Women’s Division III National Championship concluded yesterday at Anne Greve Lund Natatorium with the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens capturing the National Championship. The Sagehens defeated Washington & Jefferson, 19-6, and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 9-8, on their way to the title. With the win, Pomona-Pitzer ends the season at 25-10 overall and completes a four-peat as Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season champions, SCIAC Tournament champions, and Division III National Champions.

The Championship final on Sunday afternoon was the third time Pomona-Pitzer and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps met this season and the Sagehens won all three meetings. It was the Athenas who struck first in this contest as Jordan LaCour (2) and Tatum Dwyer dented the twine for a 3-0 lead. On the final possession of the quarter for Pomona-Pitzer, Ayva Magna finally got the Sagehens on the board but they trailed 3-1 heading to the second.

To get things started in the second period, Paityn Richardson earned a penalty and Brienz Lang stepped up to convert from five meters for Pomona-Pitzer. Following the score, both defenses picked up the intensity and there were no goals to speak of for five minutes until Valerie Wraith deposited a shot in the cage for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps to double its advantage. With under one minute to play in the half, Kaylee Stigar rang the register on a power play to pull within one and then goalkeeper Zosia Amberger blocked a penalty shot attempt to keep the score at 4-3 in favor of the Athenas at the break.

Pomona-Pitzer turned the game around in the third quarter, scoring four times and allowing just two Claremont-Mudd-Scripps goals. Richardson leveled the score before Mia Amberger gave the Sagehens their first lead of the game, both on player-advantage opportunities. Minutes later, Stigar earned a penalty and scored on the five meter attempt before Mia Amberger beat the opposing goalkeeper again to push the lead to three. With the game hanging in the balance, Grace Clark took it upon herself to keep the Athenas in it. Over the last two minutes of the quarter, Clark scored two goals for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps to cut the deficit back down to one, 7-6, on the way into the final frame.

Both teams traded goals throughout an intense fourth quarter. To start, Stigar scored her third on the day for the Sagehens prior to LaCour doing the same for the Athenas. Midway through the final frame, Lisbon Zeigler upped the lead to two for Pomona-Pitzer and that is where things stood as time wound down. With 0:45 to go, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps had the ball with a need to score and that is exactly what they did when Elise Power found the back of the net. Pomona-Pitzer took the ball to the other end and could not put the game away with another goal. That left the Athenas with 0:13 remaining and the ball with a chance to tie the game, but Isabel Del Villar’s shot was sent away by Zosia Amberger as time expired and the Sagehens claimed the 2025 USAWP Women’s NCAA Division III National Championship.

Zosia Amerberger was named MVP after recording 10 saves in the final. The Sagehens were aided by Magna, Zeigler, and Lang with two goals each in the victory. In defeat, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps finishes with a 20-11 record overall and as the national runner-up for the third consecutive season. The Athenas were led by LaCour with a hat trick and Clark with two goals scored as Mason Spencer tallied eight saves in the cage.

Sunday morning brought the third place game between Augustana College and Washington & Jefferson. The Augustana Vikings secured a third straight third place finish with a 13-12 sudden victory over the Washington & Jefferson Presidents. After two overtimes, the sides remained even and entered a sudden victory period in which senior Charlotte Newport scored a game-winning goal with 1:34 left to seal the win. Newport and Anita Rodgers led the Vikings with three goals apiece while Susan Palmentera-Reid notched 11 saves in net. Washington & Jefferson had Emma Halle, Hallie Ratcliff, and Sydney Neumann score three goals each and Alliey Cunningham record seven saves in net. The Presidents’ fourth place finish at the 2025 USAWP Women’s NCAA Division III National Championship marks the team’s first appearance at the tournament in program history.

“It feels good because being a team of mainly seniors, it feels like we have been working toward this for the last four years together,” Laura Anthony said about being the first Washington & Jefferson women’s water polo team to appear in this tournament. “We have team chemistry that was able to help us through [the season] even though we have the smallest team [roster] in the CWPA. I feel like the bond we have together translates to the pool and that is what we will be remembered by most as the underdog team.”

All-Tournament Team

MVP: Zosia Amberger, Pomona-Pitzer

Kaylee Stigar, Pomona-Pitzer

Mia Amberger, Pomona-Pitzer

Dara Schoolcraft, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

Elise Power, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

Charlotte Newport, Augustana

Waiahuli Akau, Augustana

Hallie Ratcliff, Washington & Jefferson

 

 

In the semifinal round on Saturday, Pomona-Pitzer bested Washington & Jefferson, 19-6. Mia Amberger scored five times as Kaylee Stigar and Sydney Bowns each contributed three goals for the Sagehens. Washington & Jefferson’s Sydney Neumann scored three goals in the loss.

“Something we worked on a lot was our endurance,” Alliey Cunningham said postgame. “Being such a small team and having such a small bench makes endurance very important to us.”

“As a small team, we are very close with one another. We know what makes us sad, what makes us happy, what makes us tick,” Sydney Neumann added. “That gives us an advantage having nonverbal communication in the pool. My first goal today was assisted by Emma Hale and was just a perfect pass at the perfect moment without having to say anything.”

On the other side of the bracket, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps upended Augustana, 14-5, to advance to the National Championship game. Valerie Wraith, Grace Clark, Elise Power, Isabel Del Villar, and Caitlin Muñoz each scored twice for the Athenas. Waiahuli Akau netted two goals and Lizzie Pelzman recorded eight saves for the Vikings in defeat.