MAAC Announces 2018 Water Polo Preseason Honors
EDISON, NJ – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) announced today that Wagner College has been selected No. 1 overall in the 2018 MAAC Water Polo Preseason Poll, based on a vote by the league’s eight head coaches.
Iona College senior utility Hannah Schultz claimed the Preseason Player of the Year honor. Iona’s senior goalie Britten Vilander and Virginia Military Institute sophomore goalie Isabel French have been named Co-Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year.
The Seahawks received six first place votes, for 62 points overall in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Wagner won its fourth consecutive MAAC Water Polo Championship and seventh overall in 2017, the most in conference history. The Seahawks went on to defeat UC San Diego, 6-5, in the opening round of the 2017 NCAA Water Polo Championship. Wagner became the first MAAC water polo program to win a national postseason game since Iona in 2012.
Marist College placed second in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll with two first place votes, and 58 points overall. The Red Foxes advanced to the MAAC Water Polo Championship game for the fourth-straight season in 2017. Marist has claimed four MAAC Water Polo Championships in program history, which are tied for the second-most in league history.
Iona (46) was selected third in the poll, followed by VMI (39) in fourth, and Villanova University (29) in fifth. Siena College (26), St. Francis Brooklyn (20), and La Salle University (8) round out the Preseason Coaches’ Poll in the final three slots.
Schultz was tabbed the Preseason Player of the Year after being named the MAAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year last season. The Tinley Park, IL native was an All-MAAC First Team selection as a junior and a four-time MAAC Offensive Player of the Week. Schultz tallied 98 points (92 goals, six assists) in 2017 for the Gaels. She scored seven goals in a game twice, and six goals in a game four times last season.
Iona’s Vilander and VMI’s French earned the Co-Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year honor. Vilander was named to the All-MAAC Second Team and claimed MAAC Defensive Player of the Week twice in 2017. The goalie earned 12 wins in net, compiled a 9.94 goals against average, and a .456 save percentage as a junior. She recorded 114 steals and 4.6 steals per game last season.
French claimed the MAAC Rookie of the Year award in 2017, and posted a VMI single-season record, 286 saves. The Naperville, IL native was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Week twice and MAAC Rookie of the Week twice last season. She registered a 9.72 goals against average and a .514 save percentage.
The Preseason All-MAAC Team consists of Iona’s Schultz (unanimous selection), and Vilander, Marist’s junior center Grace Doerfler, Villanova’s senior center Dominique Clark, VMI’s senior center Shelby Barkley, and French, Wagner’s junior attack Erica Hardy, and senior utility Kimberly Watson.
The MAAC Water Polo Championship returns to the McCann Natatorium on the campus of Marist College for the 16
th consecutive year. Semifinal action begins Saturday, April 28. The Consolation game and Championship game takes place on Sunday, April 29. For more information on the 2018 MAAC Water Polo Championship, visit
maacsports.com/wp.
| Preseason Coaches’ Poll |
| 1. |
Wagner (6) |
62 |
| 2. |
Marist (2) |
58 |
| 3. |
Iona |
46 |
| 4. |
VMI |
39 |
| 5. |
Villanova |
29 |
| 6. |
Siena |
26 |
| 7. |
St. Francis Brooklyn |
20 |
| 8. |
La Salle |
8 |
| Preseason All-MAAC Team |
| Name |
Position |
Institution |
| Hannah Schultz* |
Utility |
Iona |
| Britten Vilander |
Goalkeeper |
Iona |
| Grace Doerfler |
Center |
Marist |
| Dominique Clark |
Center |
Villanova |
| Shelby Barkley |
Center |
VMI |
| Isabel French |
Goalkeeper |
VMI |
| Erica Hardy |
Attack |
Wagner |
| Kimberly Watson |
Utility |
Wagner |
| *denotes unanimous selection |
| Preseason Player of the Year |
| Name |
Position |
Institution |
| Hannah Schultz |
Utility |
Iona |
| Co-Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year |
| Name |
Position |
Institution |
| Britten Vilander |
Goalkeeper |
Iona |
| Isabel French |
Goalkeeper |
VMI |
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 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 37
th year of competition during the 2017-18 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter's University, and Siena College.