Sports
Stanford denies Hawaii in NCAA women’s water polo semifinal
Stanford was too good, too fast, too Olympic. The Hawaii women’s water polo team saw its NCAA Tournament run come to an end at the seemingly webbed hands of the top-seeded Cardinal, who were everywhere they needed to be in the IU Natatorium pool in a 13-4 rout in Indianapolis, Ind., on Saturday. Big West […]

Stanford was too good, too fast, too Olympic.
The Hawaii women’s water polo team saw its NCAA Tournament run come to an end at the seemingly webbed hands of the top-seeded Cardinal, who were everywhere they needed to be in the IU Natatorium pool in a 13-4 rout in Indianapolis, Ind., on Saturday.
Big West champion Hawaii went 22-5 in coach James Robinson’s first year as program successor to his former boss (and still mentor) Maureen Cole.
Making the semifinals — UH put just about everything into its 8-7 win over an up-tempo Cal team in Friday’s quarterfinal — was a powerful symbol of sustained quality for the Rainbow Wahine.
But Stanford? The nine-time national champions put the emphasis on the first word in “Olympic-size swimming pool.” Of their six field players in the starting lineup, five have represented their countries on the international stage. It blasted Wagner 28-6 on Friday.
It is the only program to have participated in all 24 editions of the NCAA women’s water polo championships.
“Got to tip the cap to Stanford, obviously an incredible program, experienced team, ton of veterans,” Robinson said in a postmatch video interview with Hawaii media. “They played awesome.
“But for us, I think that one loss doesn’t define the season,” he added. “Couldn’t be more proud of this group what we accomplished after a little bit of a disappointing finish (in the national semifinals) last year, just being able to come back and put ourselves in that same position.”
It was UH’s first time making consecutive appearances in the NCAA semis since 2005 and 2006. But UH was again denied the program’s first championship game appearance.
UH hung in through a quarter, trailing just 3-2. But a 4-0 second period by the Cardinal, then a 4-1 third put the match out of reach.
Jenna Flynn, who opened the game with three straight goals, outscored UH herself with a double hat trick of six scores as Stanford (24-1) advanced to face USC in Sunday’s championship. The Trojans edged UCLA 15-13 in Saturday’s other semifinal.
UH shot 4-for-29.
It was a more lopsided outcome than when UH and Stanford met at the Fresno State Polo-Palooza on Jan. 18, the second match of the season won 12-7 by the Cardinal.
“Every team is completely different to January compared to in May. You’ve had five extra months to work and refine and just clean up the little details,” senior center Jordan Wedderburn said. “Stanford’s a world-class team. They have won the national championship so many times for a reason.”
UH won marquee games against UCLA and Cal at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational in Irvine, Calif.,
Freshmen Ema Vernoux and Gabrielle Doyle found the net for UH, while veterans Bernadette Doyle and Wedderburn scored one apiece in their final collegiate game.
Bernadette Doyle, the Big West Player of the Year and UH’s best two-way threat, had two steals and three field blocks.
Wedderburn, of South Africa, scored 68 goals as a senior and finished with 161 for her career, ninth in program history.
Wedderburn said afterward UH’s showing this week helped dispel the notion that the Wahine only made it to the semifinals last year because it was an Olympic year when many of the elite teams’ top players are away representing their countries.
“We wanted to prove that this is where we belong, and this is where we are going to continue to be,” Wedderburn said. “I think for so many years, it’s been the top four, the top four, the top four, is like MPSF (only). And we just want to get the Big West in the door.”
Goalkeeper Daisy Logtens stopped 12 Cal shots in Friday’s quarterfinal round but managed only four against the powerhouse Cardinal. One of them was on a penalty shot.
Robinson gave the players, especially the senior class, credit for anchoring the team during the coaching transition. He also gave Cole a shout-out. (Wedderburn interjected that Robinson and Cole still confer almost every day.)
“They (the players) wanted the world to know, and the country know, that they could come back and put ourselves in the same position,” Robinson said. “So they put that work in. They made my job easy.”
Coach James Robinson, center left, spoke to the Rainbow Wahine during a timeout at the NCAA Tournament semifinal against top-seeded Stanford on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of UH Athletics)
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.