BRIDGEPORT, Pa. – Cal Lutheran women's water polo was ranked third in the latest Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Women's Varsity Division III Top 10, released on Wednesday.
The Regals collected 89 votes after opening the season at 1-2 overall. While CLU has yet to face NCAA Division III competition, its early schedule has been highlighted by a thrilling win over Division II opponent Fresno Pacific.
CLU is averaging 9.0 goals per game, led by
Aleaha Gonzalez with nine goals on the season.
Lauren Lohmeier and
Hudson Geier follow with six and four goals, respectively.
In the cage,
Izzy de Souza leads the way with a .410 save percentage, totaling 36 saves across the three contests. Gonzalez has also made her mark defensively, recording five steals and drawing four exclusions.
The SCIAC continues to showcase its national depth, with seven additional teams landing in the poll. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps claimed the top spot with 100 points, followed by Pomona-Pitzer with 95. Rounding out the conference representation are Chapman (No. 4), La Verne (No. 6), Occidental (No. 9), Whittier (No. 10), and Redlands, which is receiving votes.
Preseason play remains challenging for the Regals, who are set to face a quartet of Division I opponents in Arizona this weekend. All four are ranked in the CWPA Varsity Top 25.
Cal Lutheran opens the trip with a morning matchup against San Diego State on Saturday, February 7, at 10:15 a.m. PT (11:15 a.m. MT).
CWPA Women's Varsity Polls – Week 3