LEBANON, Ill. – The women's water polo team will embark into postseason play out in Irvine, California, for this year's Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Championships tournament from April 10th through 12th at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center on the campus of Concordia University Irvine. 

A 3-0 weekend out on the West Coast will give McKendree the automatic bid into the upcoming NCAA National Collegiate Water Polo Championships from April 22nd through 26th in La Jolla, California, and hosted by the University of California San Diego. 

The Bearcats will begin day one on Friday, April 10th against the two-seed in the West, Biola University... the team McKendree defeated [7-5] in the championship game to win their first-ever WWPA title last season. They will face the Eagles at 5:00 PM CT in the quarterfinal match to play the winner (1E) Salem University and (4W) Fresno Pacific University on Saturday for a semifinal bout. How McKendree fares will determine whether they will play in the championship, third-place game, or in a 5-7th place round robin. 

All contests will be streamed for free live and on demand on the WWPA Network. Live stats will also be provided via The FOSH. Tickets can be purchased HERE or over at cuigoldeneagles.com. 

SCOUTING THE LAST OUTINGS 

The team rounded out regular season play last weekend at the Salem invitational in Bridgeport, West Virginia, to solidify themselves as a three-seed in the upcoming WWPA Championships in a couple of weeks. 

The Bearcats fell to both Gannon University [12-16] and Saint Francis University [8-22] for day one of the event, as they closed out day two with first having a tough time finding momentum against the hosting Salem University [2-18], but ended their time in The Mountain State with a win against former WWPA-foe Mercyhurst University [15-9]. 

IN THE EYE OF THE TIGER 

Junior center Bella Morquecho (Chicago, Ill.) led the offense with eight goals, along with 11 drawn exclusions, and three steals on 50.0% shooting. Senior attacker Dylan Murphy (Carlsbad, Calif.) also notched eight points with four goals and four assists, plus five exclusions drawn, a trio of steals, and a field block. 

Time in the cage was once again split, with freshman goalkeeper Daisy Wetherholt (Malibu, Calif.) playing in two of such and finishing with a 1-1 record on 17 saves, two steals, and an assist on a 35.4 save percentage. Fellow freshman goalie Delaney Judkins (La Grange, Ill.) tabbed 18 saves in the other two team outings with seven steals and a 34.6 save percentage. 

WWPA ALL-CONFERENCE NODS 

The WWPA released its 2026 All-Conference honorees on Wednesday, April 8th prior to their championship tournament. 

Junior attacker Bella Morquecho (Chicago, Ill.) received her second First Team All-Conference award as a Bearcat in as many years with the program, as it is the 10th-ever First Team selection in the program's history.  

Senior attacker Joey Rebelo (Montreal, Québec, Canada) made a fourth consecutive appearance on the All-WWPA awards with an Honorable Mention accolade. Joining her in that category is fellow attacker, junior Shanelle Márquez, who earned her first-ever postseason honor. 

Utility Charlie Monroe cemented a spot on the All-Freshman team for the conference for the Bearcats' sixth consecutive year putting a player on that squad. 

TEAM TOPPERS 

LOOKING AHEAD 

If McKendree wins out the WWPA Championship, they will receive the automatic bid into the upcoming NCAA National Collegiate Water Polo Championships from April 22nd through 26th in La Jolla, California, and hosted by the University of California San Diego. The NCAA Selection Show will be announced in the coming days for fans to tune-in on where the Bearcats will be placed in the bracket. 

If McKendree falls in any of their three matchups in the conference tournament, they will ultimately conclude their season after the three-day event, while still playing for a placement finish on Sunday. 

TUNE IN-FO 

Make sure to keep up with McKendree University Water Polo on Instagram, X (Twitter), and TikTok. #NCAAwaterpolo 

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