LEBANON, Ill. – Head Coach Alex Figueras announced on Wednesday, December 17th his women's water polo schedule for the 2026 season
This will be year number 10 for the program, and the ninth at the varsity level and members of the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA). The 2026 season will also be the second year for Figueras leading the helm, as he is coming off a 21-8 overall record with a 3-1 mark in WWPA play within the 2025 season.
It was a historic season for the program last year, as they captured their first-ever WWPA Championship title to give their first appearance in the NCAA's National Collegiate Water Polo Championships. The team also cracked the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Top 25 National Poll for the first time ever and went as high as 23rd. Other of several notable accomplishments include the most wins in a season (21), best start in program history (13-3), and the longest winning streak ever (eight games).
McKendree will sprint off things in Tempe, Arizona for Arizona State University's reformed early-season tournament, the Malmsten Invitational on January 24th and 25th. In the event, the Bearcats will go up against all NCAA Division I programs, starting out with the University of California San Diego and then against the hosting Sun Devils. On day two, they will take on Loyola Marymount University and California Baptist University.
The Bearcats will make their home stand two weeks later when they debut the Lischwe Memorial Invitational in honor of recent former Head Coach Colleen Lischwe, who unexpectedly passed away last January after spearheading both the McKendree men's and women's programs for several years. Four teams will participate, including the Bearcats as transitioning WWPA member University of California, Merced will fly in from the West, as in-state rival Augustana College and Carthage College will make the drive in from the North. McKendree will open up with the UC Merced Bobcats and the Carthage Firebirds on Saturday, February 7th at 12:00 PM CT and 5:00 PM CT, respectively, and will wrap up with Augustana on Sunday with an 11:00 AM CT showdown. The matchup against the Firebirds will be the tentative Senior Night game.
The team will waste no time after hosting their own tournament, as they will make the trip upwards to partake in the Midwest Invite, which will be co-hosted by the University of Michigan and Indiana University in Ann Arbor on February 14th and 15th. McKendree will once again face some top-heavy Division I competition with the University of California, Davis and the Michigan Wolverines on tap for day one. The second day will feature the Bearcats facing Mount St. Mary's University and the Indiana Hoosiers, making it three CWPA Top 25 finishers from last year in this tournament alone.
McKendree will return to the Land of Lincoln for an away match against the Augustana Vikings in Rock Island on Saturday, February 28th.
After the rivalry matchup, the Bearcats will make their annual Golden Coast trip and look to showcase their talents at the CSUN Mini Invite and the Convergence Tournament subsequently after. In the tournament in Los Angeles neighborhood, McKendree will take on both Villanova University and the host California State University, Northridge on Thursday, March 5th at 4:00 PM CT and 8:00 PM CT, respectively.
The Convergence Tournament, hosted by Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) institutions, primarily Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, is still to be determined with matchups and play times, but will take place on March 6th and 7th.
The team will then immediately start their WWPA weekend slates right after their California trip, with the WWPA Erie Classic up first, from March 14th to 15th at Gannon University. Opponents and times are still to be confirmed.
McKendree's second of two WWPA weekends will wrap up in Bridgeport, West Virginia at the WWPA Salem Invitational from March 28th through the 29th at The Bridge Sports Complex. On that Saturday, they will face Saint Francis University in the morning and Gannon in the early afternoon. On Sunday, they will play one match against the host Salem University to finalize their conference slate.
How the Bearcats fare in the two WWPA weekends will determine their seeding in the WWPA Championships tournament, which will be held at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine, California (hosted by Concordia University Irvine) from April 10th through 12th. Friday the 10th will be the tournament's quarterfinals and exhibitions, with the latter being the case if McKendree clinches the number one seed. Saturday the 11th will be semifinal action, along with exhibitions against UC Merced for those who faltered in the quarterfinals. All will be wrapped up on Sunday the 12th with the WWPA's fifth-place, third-place, and championship games all taking place in that order.
Should McKendree win their second consecutive conference title, they will automatically earn a bid to the 2026 National Collegiate Water Polo Championships held in San Diego, California at UC San Diego's Canyonview Aquatic Center. The tournament's first round will be on May 8th, with the Semifinals on May 9th, and the championship game on May 10th.
All live stream, live stats, tickets, and other relevant game information links (if applicable to the event) can be found on the teams' schedule at mckbearcats.com.
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