CWPA Releases Changes to 2012 Women's National Collegiate Club Sierra Pacific Division Schedule

BRIDGEPORT, Pa. -- The Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) announces changes to the Women's National Collegiate Club Sierra Pacific Division schedule.

One of two California based divisions, the Sierra Pacific Division is now comprised of the University of California-Berkeley, California State University-Chico, University of California-Davis “A”, University of California-Davis “B”, University of California-Santa Cruz, Saint Mary’s College and California State University-Maritime Academy as California State University-Fresno elected not to field a team in 2012.

Regular season competition will begin on February 11-12 at Cunningham Aquatic Center in Vallejo, Calif. with a 14-game tournament.  

Action will continue two weeks later on February 25-26 at UC-Davis' Schaal Aquatic Center with another 14-contest event to set the field for the division championship.

The division champion will be decided approximately two months following the last regular season tournament as the institutions will converge on UC-Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz, Calif. for the 1`-game championship tournament on April 14-15.

Similar to past seasons, the Sierra Pacific Division champion will receive an automatic berth to the National Collegiate Club Championship scheduled to be held at Florida State University on May 4-6 in Tallahassee, Fla.  Further, due to UC-Davis finishing second at the 2011 National Collegiate Club Championship at the University of Notre Dame, the division runner-up will also advance to the championship at FSU.

Created in 2007 as the Pacific Coast Division split into two divisions, the Sierra Pacific Division has been among the most competitive divisions over the past four season as three teams (Fresno State – 2007; UC-Davis – 2008, 2009, 2011; UC-Santa Cruz – 2010) have captured the title, while six programs have advanced to the division title game (Fresno State – 2007; UC-Davis – 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011; CSU-Chico – 2009; UC-Santa Cruz – 2010; UC-Berkeley - 2011).