McKendree University women’s water polo team will face Wagner University in the opening round of the 2025 NCAA’s Women’s Water Polo Championship in Indianapolis at 6:00 pm EST today.

Sydney Kane, the 6′-0″ senior captain and goalie for the McKendree Bearcats (who blocked 21 shots against Biola University at the Western Water Polo Association Championships) will lead her team.

In the best story in NCAA sports this year, McKendree qualified for the NCAA Championships – the first time in school history – despite losing Colleen Lischwe, their dynamic young coach, a mother of a child, just before the 2025 season started in a horrific car accident.

The Bearcats represent a school in Lebanon, Illinois that has fewer than 2,000 students in a town of 4,571 residents. New coach Alex Figueras stepped ably into the role as the head coach in the vacuum left by Coach Colleen’s tragic passing and has his team ready to play the favored Wagner. The winner goes advances to the quarterfinals where they will face the winningest team in NCAA women’s water polo history, the Stanford University Cardinals.

But first things first.

After traveling this season, mostly by bus, to the states of Indiana, Virginia, Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, the Bearcats compiled a 21-8 record.

On the other side, this is Wagner’s 13th NCAA Tournament appearance. The Seahawks are 4-8 all-time, with their most recent tournament win coming in last year’s Opening Round — a 15-14 victory over Biola. Wagner’s other NCAA wins came against Salem (2022) and UC San Diego (2017 and 2018).

Kane talked about their season with Steven Munatones.

Every game except for the national championship will be live streamed here on NCAA.com.

Update: McKendree’s season came to an end today with a 19-7 loss to Wagner.

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