Fresno State Women's Water Polo back in the big dance for third straight year

Fresno State Women's Water Polo is back in the NCAA Tournament for the third straight campaign after winning the GCC tournament title this past weekend.

The NCAA Women's Water Polo committee announced the seedings for the 2023 National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championship on Monday, hosted by Pacific on May 12-14 at the Chris Kjeldsen Pool at the Douglass M. Eberhardt Aquatics Center in Stockton, Calif.

The Golden Coast Conference tournament champion Fresno State will compete against No. 2 USC (26-2) in the quarterfinal round on Friday, May 12. The game is scheduled for 4 p.m. PT.

The Bulldogs (18-8) received an automatic bid to the NCAA championship as the conference tournament champions, along with five other conference champions. The remaining three teams were selected at-large without geographical restrictions. USC was an at-large bid as the Trojans took second place in the MPSF this season, falling to Stanford.

Fresno State, in just its sixth year of competition, has made the NCAA tournament in each of the last three seasons. The Bulldogs faced then-No. 2 USC in the quarterfinal round of the 2022 championship, and defeated Cal Lutheran in the opening round play-in game in 2021.