ORANGE, Calif. — Women's water polo readies for the SCIAC postseason tournament – the first time the Panthers have qualified for the tournament since 2016. Here are some things you need to know about the field heading into the tourney.

The Field and Format

No. 1 seed – No. 1/25 Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens (19-6, 12-0 SCIAC)

No. 2 seed – No. 2 Claremont-M-S Athenas (18-9, 10-2 SCIAC)

No. 3 seed – No. 3 Chapman Panthers (14-11, 8-4 SCIAC)

No. 4 seed – No. 4 Cal Lutheran Regals (8-16, 7-5 SCIAC)

Semi-final 1, Friday, April 26 – No. 4 Cal Lutheran @ No. 1 Pomona-Pitzer, Claremont, Calif.

Semi-final 2, Friday, April 26 – No. 3 Chapman @ No. 2 Claremont-M-S, Claremont, Calif.

Championship Game, Sunday, April 28 – winner of Semi-final 1 vs. winner of Semi-final 2 (game hosted by the higher seed)

The Matchup

Women's water polo faces Claremont-M-S for the 20th time Friday evening. The Athenas lead the season series 2-0 with an 18-12 win over the Panthers in Orange and a 22-6 victory more recently in Claremont.

Chapman's last victory over CMS came in 2016, the last season the Panthers made the SCIAC tournament. They secured a 10-8 victory over the Athenas in 2016.

Looking at Friday's matchup, Chapman's two heavy hitters, Alyssa Fricker – the Division III and SCIAC leader in goals scored – and Kendall Pappan – a Second Team All-SCIAC selection who's top-three in the conference in points – spearhead the Panther offense.

On the Athenas' side, Valerie Wraith and Cooper McKenna sit at third and fourth in the SCIAC in goals scored. A goalkeeper duo of Natalie Stearns and Mason Spencer hold down the net with a combined 212 saves.

Players to Watch

On Thursday, April 25, three Panthers were named to the 2024 All-SCIAC teams. Fricker was named to the first team, while Georgina Burton and Pappan were named to the second team.

Burton has solidified the Panthers' defense, leading the conference in save percentage, 52% – a new career-high, and sitting at fourth in saves with 172. Burton's 34 steals lead all conference keepers.

Offensively, Fricker has 92 goals – the third most in a single season in program history – and 49 against SCIAC opponents. Pappan has 52 goals and 40 assists. Jamie Chin is also tied for the conference lead in assists. 

Implications

The winner of the contest will reach the SCIAC Championship game, played at the site of the highest remaining seed, on Sunday, April 28. A win also means a berth to the Division III National Championship on May 4-5.