Cal Lutheran to Host 2009 Collegiate III Water Polo Championship

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Starting Friday, May 1 through Sunday, May 3, the Samuelson Aquatics Center on the campus of California Lutheran University will play host for the 2009 National Collegiate III Women’s Water Polo Championships. The three-day event will feature eight of the nation's best Division III teams over the three-day event.

Despite hosting the event, the Cal Lutheran women’s water polo team won its first ever Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) title earning the automatic bid to the NCAA Championships taking place at the University of Maryland from May 8-10 and will not compete at the Division III Championship.

Each team will play three games of pool play; two on Friday and one on Saturday. Pool A will feature Pomona-Pitzer College, Washington & Jefferson College, University of Redlands and California State University-East Bay. Pool B includes Occidental College, University of California-Santa Cruz, Grove City College and Macalester College.

Pending results the third place pool teams will battle the fourth place squads for spots in the fifth place contest. The first place pool teams will battle the second place teams in the semifinal with the winners meeting in the championship game at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

The first two days of competition will hold eight games beginning at 8 a.m. and conclude following the 6 p.m. contest. Matches are scheduled on 80 minute intervals and are subject to change pending extended length games. There is time allotted for a short break following the Noon contest.

Sunday will be the position round as the seventh, fifth, third and first place games will take place starting at 8:30 a.m. on 90 minutes intervals (subject to change).

Awards will be distributed immediately following the Championship game.

CSU East Bay is the defending Collegiate III champions after defeating runner-up Cal Lutheran, 7-6 in triple overtime in the title contest. Cal Lutheran won the tournament in 2007 defeating Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 10-6 en route to the title.

Complete tournament information, including a schedule, is available on the tournament home page.