Cal Earns 5th Consecutive NCAA Tournament Selection
Cal is bound for its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament.

WPOLO4/13/2026 5:20 PM | By:

Cal Earns 5th Consecutive NCAA Tournament Selection

Bears Are Seeded No. 4, Face Hawai'i In NCAA Quarterfinals In San Diego

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The California women's water polo team has secured its fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, selected as the No. 4 seed for the coming 2026 National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championship. The Golden Bears carry a 14-7 overall record into the event, which will be held April 24-26 at UC San Diego's Canyonview Aquatic Center in Ja Jolla.

Under the direction of head coach Coralie Simmons for the 10th season, the Bears are coming off a fourth-place finish at the MPSF Tournament. Cal has reached the NCAA tournament eight times in the nine seasons it's been held while Simmons has been at the helm. The Bears have reached the NCAA final twice in program history, most recently in 2024.

"Heading into the NCAA championships with this vibrant squad feels special," Simmons said. "Every early morning, every grind, every moment of trust we've built together is coming with us to San Diego. We're packing energy, resilience and a belief in each other that can't be broken. I'm proud of this group and excited to battle."

The 2026 Bears team features the MPSF Newcomer of the Year Despoina Drakotou along with fellow All-MPSF honorees Julia Bonaguidi and Feline Voordouw. All three are also on the prestigious Cutino Award Watch List for their work in leading Cal through a strong season in which its only losses have come to the nation's top-three ranked teams. Along the way, senior Abbi Magee tallied her 100th career goal, and goalie Talia Fonseca has risen to rank No. 9 all-time in career saves at Cal. Two Bears – Maria Bogachenko (Israel) and Eszter Varró (Hungary) – took early time away in order to represent their countries on the world stage at European Championships. Their international scoring impact has carried over to the collegiate game, as the pair has combined for 57 goals as Bears this year.

This year's National Collegiate field includes six automatic qualifiers from conference championships and three at-large teams. Seven teams qualify directly to the championship field, and the remaining two teams will compete in an Opening Round game on April 22. That winner will advance to quarterfinal games set for April 24, with semifinals held April 25 and the NCAA Championship game set for 6 p.m. PT on April 26. All games will be played at Canyonview Aquatic Center in La Jolla. Quarterfinals and semifinals will stream live on NCAA.com, and the NCAA Championship game will be televised on ESPNU and streamed on ESPN+. 

Earning automatic berths this year are Stanford (MPSF), Harvard (CWPA), Loyola Marymount (Golden Coast), Hawai'i (Big West), Concordia (WWPA) and Wagner (MAAC). This year's at-large teams are California, UCLA and USC — all out of the MPSF.

NOTABLE:
- This is Cal's fifth consecutive NCAA appearance and eighth overall under the direction of head coach Coralie Simmons.
- Cal's best finishes at an NCAA Tournament have been second-place runs in 2011 and 2024.
- In the 15 previous NCAA tournaments held, Cal has reached the tourney 11 times.
- Cal is 12-13 all-time in those 11 NCAA tournament appearances.
- Cal's first NCAA appearance was 2010.
- Prior to the NCAA's sponsorship of women's water polo in 2001, Cal reached the Collegiate National Championship tournament all five years (1996-2000) and reached three straight finals (1996-98).
- Junior Julia Bonaguidi will enter the NCAA Tournament with 92 career goals, looking to join teammate Abbi Magee in the 100-goal club.
- With a team-high 43 total goals this season, Despoina Drakotou has scored the seventh most goals by a freshman in Cal history.

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For more coverage of Cal women's water polo, follow the Bears on X (@calwwpolo), Instagram (@calwwpolo) and Facebook (@calwwpolo).

 
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