(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 3) – The McKendree University women's water polo team is set to open up their inaugural season on Friday at 6 p.m. EST at the Bruno Invite.
 
The Bearcats inaugural season consists of a 24 game schedule. The schedule includes three tournaments, the Bruno Invite at Brown University, the Hoosier Invite at Indiana Unviersity, and the Convergent Tournament at Pomona College. They will open up their season at the Bruno Invite at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island Friday, Feb. 3^rd through Sunday, Feb. 5^th on Friday Feb. 3^rd at 6 p.m. against the host school, Brown University.
 
McKendree University Director of Athletics Chuck Brueggemann recently announced that the men's and women's water polo teams will be advancing to NCAA varsity status for the 2018 season. The women's team has applied to the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) and, if accepted, would be the eight member of the WWPA.
 
This will be the Bearcat's first game in the history of the program. They are led by head coach Gregg Emde and graduate assistant coach Colleen Lischwe. Emde brings a knowledge of 20 years from playing and coaching experience to the Bearcats including at the club, collegiate, and national levels. Lischwe comes from a D1 program as a player and the high school and club levels as a coach. The pair coach the men's water polo program during the fall as well and they went 12-15 overall. The men's team is also advancing to NCAA varisty status for their 2017 season as well as adding a club team to compete in their current division.
 
The inaugural team consists of ten women. Freshman Catie Young (Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Los Osos High School), freshman Valerie Sorondo (Orlando, FL/Lake Nona High School), freshman Brianna Mullalley (Chula Vista, CA/Eastlake High School), and sophomore Jillian Hoffman (Prospect Heights, IL) make up the attackers for the team.
Young hails from CHAWP a power house in women's water polo and Sorondo from Lake Nona a power house in the high school division. Mullalley is a two-year captain and first-team All-League from the California area and Hoffman was the first commit and will transfer in experience playing at the collegiate level from Harper College.
 
Freshman Victoria Jones (Lodi, CA/Tokay High School) is the sole utility player for the team. Jones was selected for second-team TCAL Selection 2014 and 2015. Junior Sabrina Sherrin (San Jose, CA/West Valley Junior College) and freshman Kate Eckert (Bainbridge, WA/Mercer Island High School) are the centers for the team. Sherrin was named a senior All-Star and named to the first-team in the Central Coast Section. Eckert will bring her past leadership experience as the MVP for her high school team to McKendree.
 
Rounding out the team are center defenders sophomore Grace Coplin (St. Louis, MO/Mehlville High School) and Freshman Tiana Wilson ( Orange County, CA/Mt. San Antonio College). Coplin will feel right at home at McKendree as she hails from St. Louis, Missouri. Wilson was named to the first-team in the South Coast Conference as well as All-Southern Califronia first-team.
 
The goalkeepers for the Bearcats will be sophomores Gabby Madewell (Portland, OR/Parkrose High School) and Kim Fay (). Madewell will also play on her leadership as she was a three-year captain and first-team goalie in the 5A division in high school. She was also named to the All-State first-team in Oregon. Fay joined the McKendree team this semester, after transferring from Portland Community college.

The Bearcats will be competing at the Bruno Invite this weekend in Providence, Rhode Island. The tournament page with additional information such as game times, results, and video coverage can be found HERE.
 
All three McKendree water polo teams will host their home matches at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex, a multi-purpose facility that opened earlier this month in O'Fallon, Ill. The McKendree Metro Rec Plex includes an NCAA-sanctioned aquatic center, two NHL-sized sheets of ice, fitness equipment and other amenities.