Update April 29, 2024: The UH women’s water polo team was awarded the No. 2 seed in the NCAA National Collegiate Championship. The Rainbow Wahine will face Princeton in the quarterfinals on May 10 at 1 p.m. HST in Berkeley, California, with the winner taking on third-seeded and host California or Fresno State in the semifinals on May 11. The championship match is set for May 12 at 4 p.m. HST.
Original story:
The top-seeded and second-ranked University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa women’s water polo team captured the program’s fifth Big West Championship title with a 9-5 victory over eighth-ranked Long Beach State in the tournament final, April 28, at the Schaal Aquatics Center in Davis, California.
Junior Bernadette Doyle sparked the Rainbow Wahine on both ends of the pool with season highs of four goals and four steals, earning her the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. The Rainbow Wahine defense held the Beach to one goal in the second half to claim the program’s first Big West Championship title since 2021. Freshman goalkeeper Daisy Logtens protected the cage with eight saves, and the UH field defense swiped 12 steals to help stifle the Beach’s upset hopes.
“Really excited for this team and this program,” UH coach Maureen Cole said. “They’ve put in a lot of effort and I’m just happy for them that they got to experience this moment. I’m proud of this group. It’s been a journey thus far, and I’m really excited that we get two more weeks together. I’m excited for the hard work that we’ve got ahead, but just the time together with this group because it’s been a really special season.”
With the victory, the Rainbow Wahine (22-3) claimed the Big West’s automatic bid to the NCAA National Collegiate Women’s Water Polo Championship, set for May 10–12 in Berkeley, California. The nine-team bracket will be revealed when the tournament selection show airs on April 29 at 2 p.m. HST on NCAA.com.
UH will make its eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since winning the 2021 Big West title. This season, the Rainbow Wahine completed their title march by sweeping through the regular season and the three-day Big West Championship, going 10-0 against conference competition for the first time since joining the league in 2013.
For more on the match, visit the UH Mānoa Athletics website.
