BERKELEY, Calif. --- Nationals has become a familiar place for the Biola Women's Water Polo squad. The team earned its way to a second-consecutive National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championship appearance after winning the WWPA crown once again. The Eagles will battle the Wagner Seahawks in the opening round of the tournament on Wednesday at 5:00 pm at the Spieker Aquatics Center at UC Berkeley.

Biola mounted a successful defense of its WWPA Championship, earning the automatic bid to the 2024 national championships. BU added its seventh-straight win at the conference tourney to grab back-to-back titles. Following the championship win, the Eagles reentered the CWPA WWP National Poll, tying for No. 24 in the country.

The Eagles took down Cal State East Bay to secure a trip to the big dance. A nail-biting thriller of a championship game went the way of Biola, thanks to two unanswered goals in the waning minutes of the contest.

14 overall wins and five conference wins highlighted the regular season for the Eagles. Veralie Naranjo headlined a terrific offense, as she was named the WWPA Player of the Year. The First Team All-WWPA selection led the team with 77 goals on the year, while finishing the year with 19-consecutive games with at least one score.

Maria Roldan Gonzalez helped ensure the team's spot at nationals with a spectacular conference tournament. The senior picked up the WWPA Tournament Most Outstanding Player award with 11 goals and five assists through the three victories.

Biola will be facing No. 17  Wagner for the first time in program history when they jump into the pool on Wednesday. The Seahawks capped off 2024 with a 29-4 overall record and a MAAC Championship to earn their automatic bid to nationals.

Wagner is an NCAA Division I institution that has won eight of the last 11 MAAC Championships. In 2024, the Seahawks went 13-0 in conference play and beat Marist College by one goal to take the MAAC crown. Carlota Alonsa leads the team on the attack with 150 points on the season. Alonso piled on 113 goals through 33 games but also did it all for the Seahawks with 33 sprint wins, 58 steals and 37 assists.

Last year, the Eagles earned a trip to the national tournament and faced MAAC Champion, LIU, in the opening round. A tight contest favored Biola, as the team from La Mirada picked up a win in its first nationals appearance. The opening round win placed the Eagles in a matchup against No. 1 Stanford, who would eventually go on to win the 2023 championship.

Two-time WWPA Coach of the Year, Sarah Orozco, will lead the Eagles into the battle on Wednesday evening. Orozco has built a reputable program in just three years, taking the team from its inaugural season to back-to-back conference championships and national tournament appearances.

The 2024 National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championships will kick off with Biola against Wagner College at 5:00 pm on Wednesday at the Spieker Aquatics Center in Berkeley, California.

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