Water Polo Takes on Stanford in NCAA Semifinals

INDIANAPOLIS — Coming off a dramatic win on Friday, the Big West champion University of Hawai’i women’s water polo team will take on top-seeded Stanford in the semifinals of National Collegiate Water Polo Championship on Saturday, May 10 in Indianapolis. The match is scheduled for noon Eastern Time (6 a.m. Hawaii Time) and will be streamed on ncaa.com.

The Rainbow Wahine defeated California 8-7 in the quarterfinals on Friday to advance to the NCAA Championship semifinals for the second straight year and the sixth time overall and will be seeking the program’s first berth in the national final.

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDUH is 1-36 all-time against Stanford (0-2 in the NC Women’s Water Polo Championship)
Last Meeting: Stanford 12, Hawai’i 7 (Jan. 18, 2025; Fresno, Calif.)

OPENING SPRINT

• The Rainbow Wahine defeated California 8-7 in the quarterfinals on Friday to advance to the NCAA Championship semifinals for the second straight year and the sixth time overall.
• UH sophomore Daisy Logtens made 12 saves in the win, the second highest total in an NCAA tournament match in program history.
• UH got two goals each from Bernadette Doyle, Jordan Wedderburn, Alia Burlock and Ema Vernoux to account for the ‘Bows’ scoring.
• UH earned the No. 4 seed in the nine-team bracket after claiming the Big West title for a second straight year. Daisy Logtens was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player with 29 saves (61.7% SV) and two steals and an assist.
• The Rainbow Wahine are making the program’s ninth appearance in the NCAA Tournament and earned back-to-back berths for the first time since 2005 and ’06.
• Stanford was awarded the top seed in the NCAA tournament bracket after winning the MPSF Championship.
• Ema Vernoux leads UH with 77 goals, the fourth highest single-season total in program history, and 97 points.
• Vernoux also leads the team with 16 hat tricks on the season, followed by Jordan Wedderburn with 14, and Bernadette Doyle with 12.
• Doyle, the Big West Player of the Year, is second on the team in points (93) and leads the ‘Bows in assists (38) and steals (53).
• UH is now 7-13 all-time in the NCAA Championship, including 6-3 in first-round games.  
• UH entered the week 3-4 against teams in the bracket this season (Stanford, 0-1; Loyola Marymount, 1-0; USC, 0-2; California, 1-0;  UCLA, 1-1).

THE MATCHUP
Stanford Cardinal

• UH is 1-36 all-time against Stanford, including 0-2 in the NC Women’s Water Polo Championship with losses in 2005 and ’09, both coming in the third-place match.
• UH and Stanford meet for the second time this season. The Cardinal posted a 12-7 win over the ‘Bows in the Fresno State Polopalooza on Jan. 18 in the opening weekend of the season.
• UH earned its first win in the all-time series with the Cardinal last season, 9-7 in overtime on Jan. 20, 2024 in the Polopalooza in Fresno, Calif.
• Stanford was awarded the top seed in the NCAA tournament bracket after winning the MPSF Championship.
• Stanford is the only program to have participated in all 24 NCAA Championships and is seeking its 10th national title.
• John Tanner is in his 28th season as Stanford’s head coach. He’s led the Cardinal to nine NCAA titles and was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame in 2019.
• The Cardinal opened this year’s NCAA Championship by tying the program’s scoring record in a 28-6 win over Wagner in the quarterfinals on Friday. Five players had hat tricks for Stanford.
• Jenna Flynn leads Stanford with 60 goals followed by Ryann Neushul with 58 and Jewel Roemer with 45. All three were members of the 2024 U.S. Olympic team.
• Christine Carpenter has 150 saves in goal for the Cardinal.

NC WOMEN’S WATER POLO CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

Opening Round – Wednesday, May 7

Wagner 19, McKendree 7

Quarterfinals – Friday, May 9

No. 1 Stanford 28, Wagner 6

No. 4 Hawai’i 8, California 7

No. 2 UCLA 11, LMU (CA) 8

No. 3 USC 18 Harvard 7

Semifinals – Saturday, May 10

Stanford vs. Hawai’i 6 a.m. HT (ncaa.com)

UCLA vs. USC, 8 a.m. HT (ncaa.com)

Championship – Sunday, May 11

Championship, 6 a.m. HT (ESPNU)

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