BRIDGEPORT, Pa. – The second newest sustained division, the Sierra Pacific Division has been the dominant grouping in the women’s collegiate club ranks over the past 10-years.
HISTORY: Created in 2007 from the Pacific Coast Division, the Sierra Pacific has seen six squads capture the women’s National Collegiate Club Championship with Fresno State University (2007), the University of California (2015) and the University of California-Davis (2012, 2013, 2017, 2018) racking up six crowns. In addition, UC-Davis has placed second at the penultimate event of the women’s collegiate club season twice as the Aggies fell to former Pacific Coast nemesis California Polytechnic State University in 2011 and last year against the University of Florida.
The six championships mark the second most of any women’s club division as only the Pacific Coast with nine titles – led by seven crowns by Cal Poly (2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010) – have captured more. San Diego State University (2014) and the University of California-Santa Barbara (2016) join Cal Poly in accounting for the Pacific Coast Division’s crowns.
Sierra Pacific Division Champion/Runner-Up
- 2007 Fresno State University / University of California-Davis
- 2008 University of California-Davis / California State University-Chico
- 2009 University of California-Davis / California State University-Chico
- 2010 University of California-Santa Cruz / University of California-Davis
- 2011 University of California-Davis /University of California
- 2012 University of California-Santa Cruz /University of California-Davis
- 2013 University of California-Davis /University of California
- 2014 University of California-Davis / University of California
- 2015 University of California / University of California-Davis
- 2016 University of California-Davis / University of California
- 2017 University of California-Davis / University of California
- 2018 University of California-Davis / University of California
- 2019 University of California-Davis / Fresno State University
National Championship Appearances
- 2007 – Fresno State University (National Champion)
- 2011 – University of California-Davis (Runner-Up)
- 2012 – University of California-Davis (National Champion)
- 2013 – University of California-Davis (National Champion)
- 2015 – University of California (National Champion)
- 2017 – University of California-Davis (National Champion)
- 2018 – University of California-Davis (National Champion)
- 2019 – University of California-Davis (Runner-Up)
MEMBERSHIP: The current make-up of the division from the 2020 season was 11 teams with California State University-Chico, California State University-Fresno (Fresno State), California State University Maritime Academy, Saint Mary’s College, San Jose State University, the University of California “A”, the University of California “B”, the University of California-Davis “A”, the University of California-Davis “B”, the University of California-Santa Cruz “A” and the University of California-Santa Cruz “B” battling through the completed regular season. Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, the Sierra Pacific Division was unable to come to full completion.
However, the trend of UC-Davis winning the regular season came to a close as the Aggies – who claimed the 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 titles on the way to national title game appearances in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019 – finished third during the regular season behind an undefeated Fresno State squad (8-0) and a one-loss California “A” team (7-1). Parity reigned in the division for most of the year with Cal State-Chico (5-3), UC-Santa Cruz “A” (5-3) and UC-Davis “B” (5-3) placing fourth-to-sixth in the regular season standings, while San Jose State (3-5), California “B” (2-6), Cal Maritime (2-6), UC-Santa Cruz “B” (1-7) and Saint Mary’s (0-8) completed the regular season standings.
However, do not discount another rise from UC-Davis as key players Olivia Tobin, Mallory Phillips and Nicole Daley, along with center Dominique Burciaga, will return in 2021 for another run at the program’s sixth National Championship.
NEED MORE INFORMATION: The Collegiate Water Polo Association publishes the contact information for the collegiate club teams. CLICK HERE to review the women’s collegiate club programs’ contact information.