Redlands Enters the Big Time

The NCAA women’s water polo championships may be a coronation of sorts for UCLA. Coming in with a 30-0 record and roster full of Olympians and other U.S. national team performers, the Bruins are an overwhelming favorite -- some saying they might be the greatest college team assembled.

And then there is Redlands, which has no illusions of winning a championship -- or even tonight’s quarterfinal match against defending champion USC in Ann Arbor, Mich.

But the fact Redlands has made it this far is quite an accomplishment for a non-scholarship Division III program.

In this, its fifth year of sponsoring women’s water polo, the NCAA expanded its championship format from four to eight teams. The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, of which Redlands is a member, took advantage of the opening and received one of five automatic bids.

“The way we looked at it is this is our opportunity to play on the biggest stage and we don’t know if we’ll ever get this chance again,” Coach Tom Whittemore said.

An NCAA spokesman said the SCIAC was able to apply for a bid because the tournament is open to all three divisions within the NCAA. There are 31 Division I schools that field women’s water polo; 40 is the required number for the tournament to be broken into divisions.

Redlands has won seven national titles at the Collegiate III level and the Bulldogs often play top major-college teams during the regular season. Redlands is 19-11 this season, having played three teams in this year’s championships. The Bulldogs defeated Wagner, 9-8, and lost to Loyola Marymount, 15-3, and Michigan, 11-5.

“Obviously we’re an underdog and we understand that,” Whittemore said. “We understand that USC is very good or even great, and we can play the best game we can play and it still isn’t good enough.

“We’re also trying to teach life skills and one of the things in sports that does that is competing and challenging yourself.”

*

USC and UCLA will have home matches today in the opening round of the NCAA women’s tennis tournament. The Trojans (16-3), seventh among 16 national seeds, play host to Illinois Chicago; 10th-seeded UCLA (15-5) plays Illinois State.

Long Beach State (15-10), the Big West Conference champion, faces Washington in a four-team regional at UCLA. West Coast Conference champion Pepperdine (14-8) plays Mississippi State today in a regional at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

In men’s action, USC (11-12) is in Seattle to play Southern Methodist. The winner will face either Oral Roberts or host Washington. UCLA and Pepperdine begin play Saturday at home.