Courtesy: WWPA
OAKLAND, Calif. – UC Davis and UC San Diego were tabbed as the favorites to take home the 2021 Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) title in the annual preseason poll by conference head coaches. The Aggies and Tritons tied with 60 total points with UCD holding a slight nod with five first-place votes to UCSD’s four.
UCD and UCSD had accounted for the conference crown in each of the previous seven seasons before opting out of the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 competition. The Aggies took down the Tritons with a resounding 14-5 victory in the 2019 championship for their fifth WWPA title.
2020-21 champion California Baptist is third in the poll with 49 points following a season in which the Lancers captured their first WWPA crown and made its inaugural appearance at the NCAA Championships.
Loyola Marymount (44 points) came in ahead of 2020-21 WWPA runner-up Air Force (34 points). LMU and Air Force split a pair of overtime matches last season.
Rounding out the poll were Santa Clara (31), Concordia (23), Fresno Pacific (13) and WWPA newcomer Biola (10).
The 2021 WWPA Championship will be held Nov. 19-21, 2021 at UC Davis. The nine conference squads will play each other in a single round-robin format throughout the regular season to determine the seeds for the conference postseason tournament. First sprint for the 2021 campaign is Sept. 4.
2021 WWPA Preseason Coaches Poll
T1. UC Davis – 60 (5)
T1. UC San Diego – 60 (4)
3. California Baptist – 49
4. Loyola Marymount – 44
5. Air Force – 34
6. Santa Clara – 31
7. Concordia – 23
8. Fresno Pacific -13
9. Biola – 10