POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (Apr. 10, 2026) – The 2026 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Water Polo Championship is set for this weekend, taking place Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12. The four teams competing for the league title will include top seeded Marist University, No. 2 Villanova University, No. 3 Wagner College and No. 4 La Salle University. All contests during the championship will be hosted by Marist University in Poughkeepsie, NY and will stream live on ESPN+.
No. 2 Villanova (20-8, 7-1 MAAC) vs No. 3 Wagner (13-12, 6-2 MAAC)
McCann Natatorium | Poughkeepsie, NY | 1:00PM | ESPN+
The opening semifinal game will feature No. 2 Villanova and No. 3 Wagner at 1:00 p.m. The two teams met during the regular season on March 14 as the Wildcats beat the Seahawks 15-14 at home in Villanova, PA. Villanova enters with a 20-8 overall record and a 7-1 mark in conference play, carrying a four-game winning streak. The Wildcats are making their 12th postseason appearance and first since 2023, as they look to capture their first MAAC championship. Villanova’s Riley Hull earned Offensive Player of the Year honors after leading the conference with 1.2 Assists per game and tying for first in points with 4.3 points per game. Hull also earned Offensive Player of the Week honors on March 11 and was named to the All-MAAC First Team. Ella Mattocks earned Second Team recognition and ranks second in the MAAC in goals this season, while Layla Canales and Gracin Kerry were named to the All-MAAC Third Team.
Wagner, the No. 3 seed and defending MAAC champions, finished the season 13-12 overall and 6-2 in conference play. The Seahawks are making their fifth consecutive postseason appearance and their 21st in the last 22 seasons. Wagner is aiming for its 13th MAAC title. Ana Arias Perez earned Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors, while Magali Ogg (First Team), Ana Arias Perez and Francesca Sena (Second Team), and Catherine Mentz (Third Team) were recognized on the All-MAAC teams.
No. 1 Marist (24-5, 8-0 MAAC) vs No. 4 La Salle (14-6, 5-3 MAAC)
McCann Natatorium | Poughkeepsie, NY | 4:00PM | ESPN+
No. 1 Marist will take on No. 4 La Salle at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday in the second semifinal match. The two teams met in the regular season where Marist beat La Salle 9-3 at Lexington, VA on March 28. The Marist Red Foxes, 2026 MAAC Regular Season Champions, enter the weekend in pursuit of their sixth MAAC Title and are making their 21
st consecutive postseason appearance. Marist finished the season 24-5 overall and a perfect 8-0 in conference play, after seeing its 12-game winning streak snapped with a recent loss to Princeton University. The Red Foxes received multiple postseason honors highlighted by Chris Vidale being named Coach of the Year and Ines Sanchez earning Goalkeeper of the Year. Sanchez leads the conference with a 42% save percentage and ranks second with 112 total saves on the season. She has also been recognized five times as Defensive Player of the Week (Jan. 28, Feb. 11, Feb. 18, Feb. 25, and March 11). Marist also placed three student-athletes on the All-MAAC First Team—Kendell De Beer, Anita Radaelli, and Ines Sanchez—along with Paige Naegle on the All-MAAC Second Team.
The Explorers went 14-6 on the season and 5-3 in conference play earning their fifth postseason appearance after a run of four straight from 2021–2024. La Salle is seeking its first-ever MAAC title. The Explorers were highlighted by Rookie of the Year Nadya Azzopardi, who earned two Rookie of the Week honors (March 25 and April 1) and was also named Offensive Player of the Week on March 25. La Salle placed three student-athletes on the All-MAAC teams: Martina Bonet Saez (First Team), Nadya Azzopardi (Second Team), and Samara Eschleman (Third Team).
The 2026 MAAC Water Polo Championship will take place April 11–12 in Poughkeepsie, New York. The four-team, single-elimination tournament has been hosted annually by Marist since 2003. For more information on the championship, visit
maacsports.com/wp.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 13 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 45th year of competition during the 2025-26 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan University, Marist University, Merrimack College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena University.
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