The Hawaii women’s water polo team is hoping to take a huge step forward this week before coach Maureen Cole steps away.
The Rainbow Wahine, seeded a program-best No. 2, will face Princeton in an NCAA Championship quarterfinal game at 1 p.m. Friday in Berkeley, Calif.
“This group has worked incredibly hard. It’s been a fun, long journey, and this team is as good as we’re going to get right now,” said Cole, who announced her retirement in November. “It’s just time to bring the energy, the love for each other and the passion for this game, and go out and do our best.”
The Rainbow Wahine’s previous highest seeding was No. 4, which they attained in 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2013. They placed fourth — the highest finish in school history — in each of those seasons.
Cole, a Punahou School graduate, has guided Hawaii to five NCAA Championship appearance and a 225-95 overall record in her 13-year tenure. She previously served as a UH assistant for five seasons.
Rainbow Wahine associate head coach James Robinson will take over for Cole.
“I’m proud and thankful that this institution has given me the opportunity,” Cole said. “There’s been such an incredible amount of support from the administration, from everybody, the players, to have the trust in me. It’s meant the world.”
Cole had a reflective moment before the Rainbow Wahine held their final practice Tuesday at Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex before heading to the airport.
“It kind of hit me today, driving down my mountain to the pool, I got a little full-on moment like this is the last practice at this place where I spent the last 18 years every morning and even night,” she said.
The team Cole is taking to the NCAA Championship likely is the best in school history. Hawaii is 22-3 overall, including a 7-0 record during the Big West regular season and 3-0 mark in the conference tournament. Hawaii also is ranked a program-best No. 2 in the Collegiate Water Polo Association Women’s Varsity Top 25, a spot it has held for a total of 11 weeks.
“She’s worked so hard,” UH senior utility Lot Stertefeld said. “To send her out, hopefully, as a champion would be our biggest wish for the team, the island and for our program.”
Hawaii’s signature victories this season came against a pair of No. 1-ranked teams.
On Jan. 20, the Rainbow Wahine defeated two-time defending national champion Stanford 9-7 in overtime at the Fresno State Polo-Palooza.
On Feb. 4, Hawaii toppled USC 10-6 at the Triton Invitational in La Jolla, Calif.
“Every team is different. This is definitely the most successful team in terms of wins and losses, obviously,” said Cole, who last week was named Big West Coach of the Year for the fifth time. “This team has made history with two No. 1 wins in a season. This group is incredibly dynamic and the way they work with each other is really, really special.”
The Rainbow Wahine, whose roster includes 14 players representing seven foreign countries, are led by sophomore center Bia Mantellato Dias, who was named Big West Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. She has 61 goals and six assists this season.
“She draws a lot of attention, is passionate, explosive. People now double-team her, but she’s still able to finish,” Cole said.
UH senior attacker Alba Bonamusa Boix (48 goals, 40 assists), junior attacker Bernadette Doyle (41 goals, 39 assists) freshman goalie Daisy Logtens (193 saves, .599 save percentage) also made the conference first team.
Stertefeld (32 goals, 33 assists) was named to the second team.
The Rainbow Wahine played six of the schools in the nine-team NCAA Championship this season with a combined record of 6-3 against them. The only teams Hawaii hasn’t played are Wagner and Biola, who will play a first-round game today to complete the quarterfinal field.
Hawaii defeated Princeton 10-6 in the Rainbow Wahine’s home opener at Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex on Jan. 26. The Tigers (23-6) are the Collegiate Water Polo Association champions.
“We played them really early in the season and they obviously grew a lot, we grew a lot,” Stertefeld said.
The Hawaii/Princeton winner will face the winner of No. 3 seed California/Fresno State in Saturday’s semifinals at 1 p.m.
The other quarterfinal matchups Friday are No. 1 UCLA vs. Wagner/Biola and No. 4 seed Stanford vs. USC.
The final will be at 4 p.m. Sunday.
The first-round and semifinal games will be streamed on ncaa.com. The championship game will air on ESPNU.
After the season, Cole said she will be less stressed out and will spend more time with her kids and surfing.
WATER POLO
NCAA Women’s Championship
At Berkeley Calif.
Today
First Round
Wagner vs. Biola, 2 p.m.
Friday
Quarterfinals
No. 1 UCLA vs. Wagner/Biola, 9 a.m.
No. 4. Stanford vs. USC, 11 a.m.
No. 2 Hawaii vs. Princeton, 1 p.m.
No. 3 California vs. Fresno State, 3 p.m.
Saturday
Semifinals
UCLA-Wagner/Biola winner vs. Stanford/USC winner, 11 a.m.
Hawaii/Princeton winner vs. California/Fresno State winner, 1 p.m.
Final
Game 8: Semifinal winners, 4 p.m.
