Women’s Water Polo competed at the VMI Invite over the weekend, going 3-0 with wins over Salem (14-4), Mount St. Mary’s (14-6), and VMI (21-13). Their efforts improved their record to 5-1 and earned them a spot in the Collegiate Water Polo Association top 25 at #25.
On Friday, the Bison claimed a dominant ten-goal victory over Salem. The match was seemingly over before it started for the Tigers, as the Orange and Blue quickly claimed a 6-0 lead before Salem found their first. At halftime, the score was 8-2, and the Bison did not let their foot off the gas, rattling five goals in a row into the back of the cage before the Tigers could respond. A quiet final eight minutes concluded the match as both teams claimed two goals. Ashley Hopper ’28 led the Orange and Blue on the evening with three cage-finders on just three shots.
The next day, the Bison found a similarly dominant victory over Mount St. Mary’s. Again, the Orange and Blue came out roaring, finding a quick 4-0 lead. The Mountaineers attempted to respond, finding the back of the net once, but they were quickly neutralized by two Bison scores. A 4-1 run effectively ended the match, putting the score at 10-4 before the two sides exchanged goals to finish with a score of 14-6. Bella Schraa ’26 led the way for the Orange and Blue, putting four past the keeper with perfect accuracy.
In their final match, the Bison took on hosts VMI. For the first time this weekend, the Orange and Blue found some trouble. Despite starting strong with a 4-1 run, the score was knotted at 6-6 by the halfway point of the second quarter. A 3-0 Bison run was responded to with a 3-1 Keydet run to make it 10-9. The Orange and Blue continued to find the back of the net, however, going on a 4-0 run, powered by two goals from Lin Naraoka ’29 to blaze a five-goal lead. The Bison never stopped firing offensively, adding six more goals in the fourth quarter to put VMI away, 21-13.
Women’s Water Polo continues their season this weekend at the Bucknell Invitational, where they will take on Siena, La Salle and St. Francis.
