The Aggies are floating to the top
UC Davis women’s water polo is headed to Hawaii to play in the highly anticipated Big West Tournament. Sitting in fourth place in the Conference with a 2-3 record and ranked No. 8 nationally, the Aggies’ presence in the tournament is sure to be felt. Despite UC Davis’s strength, the Big West holds several teams that have found a place in the top-20 nationally.
This is the seventh edition of the Big West Water Polo championship, and the competition has only grown as all six members of the conference (UC Davis, UC Irvine, Hawaii, CSUN, UC Santa Barbara, Long Beach State) have graced the top 20 nationally ranking this year.
The Aggies’ first game of the three-game tournament will be against UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos come into the tournament ranked No. 14 nationally and hold a 2-3 conference record. During the regular season, UC Santa Barbara defeated the Aggies in a close 7-5 victory. Nonetheless, the Aggies have adjusted their game strategy and plan on taking a more conservative approach built upon a foundation of possession of the ball.
In spite of the dominant competition UC Davis will face, the Aggies are unintimidated, as they have much experience playing against top-tier teams. Just a few weeks ago, UC Davis took apart No. 5 UC Irvine and CSUN.
The Big West championship will not come easy. UC Irvine, the top-ranked school with a 4-1 conference record, is the heavy favorite to take it all home. The Anteaters also have a tough opponent ahead as they will need to find a way to take down Hawaii, who sits right under them in the conference standings.
The hunt for the Big West trophy is on and all schools are looking for an opportunity to rise to the top. UC Davis is hungry for an opportunity to make its mark in Big West water polo history. The prize will not come easy, but winning will be so much sweeter against the best of the best.
Graphic by Camilla Dayrit.
