By Darren Preston, MPSF
Stanford collected 32 points and three first-place votes in finishing at the top of the 2016 MPSF Women's Water Polo Coaches' Poll. The Cardinal has not lost an MPSF game since 2009, a stretch of 39 straight regular season conference outings, and has won the last two NCAA Championships and four in the last five years. All-American Jamie Neushul and MPSF Newcomer of the Year Jordan Raney are back, along with fellow 20-goal scorers Dani Jackovich, Gurpreet Sohi, Anna Yelizarova and Katie Dudley.
USC was just one point back of Stanford with 31, though also picked up three first-place votes. The Trojans return three of their top five scorers from 2015 — Stephania Haralabidis, Ioanna Haralabidis and Melissa Bergesen — along with All-American goalkeeper Victória Chamorro and All-American two-meter Brigitta Games.
UCLA was also not far behind with 29 points and one first-place vote, good for third-place. Mackenzie Barr is back for the defending MPSF Champions, netting 35 goals last season, while Devin Grab and Charlotte Pratt notched 27 and 20, respectively.
California placed in the middle of the field with 22 points. Back for the Bears are goalkeeper Madeline Trabucco and MPSF All-Newcomer Kindred Paul. Emily Loughlin and Stephanie Mutafyan, meanwhile, helped the United States win the World Junior Championships this past August.
Arizona State (15), San Jose State (12) and CSU Bakersfield (6) rounded out the ninth annual coaches' poll. The Sun Devils welcome the return of two-time All-American and two-time Olympic defender Ao Gao, as she returns for her senior season following a one-year absence, as well as 2015 MPSF All-Newcomer Lena Mihailovic.
The Spartans will look towards senior Rae Lekness, a two-time honorable mention All-MPSF player with 196 career goals.
The Roadrunners will enter the 2016 campaign as one of only three programs (UC San Diego and Wagner the others) with three active players who have scored 100 or more career goals in senior Niki De Leon, and juniors Nicola Barrett and Kristen Jensen.
Opening weekend of the 2016 season is January 16-17, before MPSF Conference competition begins March 5. CSU Bakersfield is this year's site of the MPSF Championship Tournament, April 29-May 1. That weekend's champion earns automatic entry to the NCAA Tournament, hosted by UCLA, May 13-15. Since the inaugural season of NCAA Women's Water Polo in 2001, the MPSF has captured all 15 national championships.
~www.GoRunners.com~
