IRVINE, Calif. – Starting with the spring 2026 season, the Concordia University Irvine women's water polo team will become a new conference member in the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA).
Currently, CUI competes in the GCC (Golden Coast Conference) and will do so again for the upcoming 2025 season.
"As we began to evaluate the best direction for the future of our women's water polo program, it became clear that the WWPA is the best fit from every angle," said CUI Vice President of Athletics Crystal Rosenthal. "This will align our program with like-minded institutions, and give us an opportunity for our student-athletes to compete at the NCAA regional level. It is always nice to have consistency, so to have our men's and women's water polo programs under the same umbrella will bring stability for years to come. I am excited to see our women end our time strong this spring in the GCC and move forward in the WWPA the following season."
"Concordia has built itself as one of the top programs in Division II water polo and we couldn't be more excited to welcome them to the WWPA on the women's side," said WWPA Commissioner Mike Reid. "The Golden Eagles match the conference's mission academically and athletically. I'd expect them to be competitive from the get-go and add to the quality of play exhibited at the WWPA Championships."
Led by third-year head coach Casey Greenawalt, Concordia is emerging as a consistent postseason threat under the former CBU assistant coach. In 2024, Greenawalt's squad featured ACWPC Division II All-American
Tamsyn Evezard, while teammate
Abby Mammen earned Honorable Mention. 16 CUI players were honored with conference all-academic awards.
"Our transition to the WWPA strategically positions us alongside universities with similar programs, enhancing opportunities for our women's team to compete for conference championships annually," explained Greenawalt. "Securing a conference title is pivotal for advancing to the NCAA National Championship, and this move makes that goal increasingly attainable for our program. This development is not only exciting for our current student-athletes but also bolsters our recruiting efforts, attracting top talent nationwide.
On the men's side, CUI has been a WWPA member since 2017. This provides the conference with seven institutions competing in both men's and women's (starting in 2025-26), as the Golden Eagles will join Biola, Fresno Pacific, Gannon, McKendree, Salem and UC Merced. Additionally, Cal State Monterey Bay also competes with just a women's program.
"Aligning our men's and women's teams within the same conference will also offer significant advantages for all Concordia Golden Eagle water polo student-athletes," added Greenawalt. "We are grateful for the administration's support in this transition and are eager to make history in our final year in the GCC while setting new milestones in the WWPA that our university, administration, fans, and alumni will be proud of. "We would like to thank the GCC for the last several years of high-level competition and are grateful that the WWPA has offered us a new home to compete in."
The WWPA will have six teams competing on the women's side in 2024-25: Biola, Cal State Monterey Bay, Fresno Pacific, Gannon, McKendree and Salem.
