Having proved itself so far, the Oregon club sports women’s water polo team enters this weekend’s Regional Championships ranked first.
But the biggest challenge for the Ducks will be to again beat Washington, who they expect to be their toughest competition. The Huskies will travel to Federal Way, Wash., ranked second and as the defending national champions from a year ago.
“We’re mostly concerned with the Washington team,” Oregon coach Lea Bonebrake said. “It won’t be an easy game, and we can’t let them take control.”
The Ducks just recently garnered their highest national ranking of the season at sixth with the Huskies close behind at ninth. The other teams the women will meet at the championships are Oregon State, Simon Frasier and Western Washington.
“It always feels good to be placed at the top,” sophomore Kristi Neidig said. “Hopefully, it’s intimidating to other teams.”
The Ducks feel confident, thanks to the experience they received from playing some of the best varsity teams in a tournament at Santa Cruz, Calif., and also because of the way they have prepared during practices this week.
If Oregon is successful in its challenge this weekend and takes first place, it will advance to nationals, which takes place May 5-6. Even if the Ducks were to finish second, they could still receive a wild-card bid to the prestigious end-of-the-year tournament at Miami of Ohio.
So the challenge to advance begins this weekend as the women enter the tournament ranked first and plan to leave in the same fashion. It appears to these Ducks that the only thing they have standing in their way is the Huskies, who will seek revenge after losing once to Oregon earlier in the season.
“My gut feeling is we’re going to do it,” Bonebrake said. “When I watch them play, there is just this feeling that nothing can stop them.”

Women’s Ultimate to test its skills
The Oregon club sports women’s Ultimate Frisbee team will be competing against the best of the best in an open tournament this weekend in Davis, Calif.
Not only will the women be playing other college teams on their level, but they will go head-to-head with club teams comprised mainly of adults who have already graduated.
“This will be much more difficult than a typical collegiate tournament,” Oregon coach Rachelle Depper said.
The Ducks plan to win their games against other college teams and hope for the best against the club teams while gaining valuable experience. The biggest competition the women will have in the collegiate level will come from Stanford, UC-Santa Cruz and British Columbia.
“You learn by playing the best,” Depper said.
The Ducks have a well-balanced team this year as the freshmen have helped greatly by stepping up and contributing, according to Depper. Although the team has been strong, Oregon has been plagued by a total of six serious injuries this season, including ACL tears and broken metatarsals and patellas.
Looking ahead, the Ducks will compete in the sectionals on April 15 and then the regionals will take place May 3-4.
If they compete as well as they hope in regionals, the Ducks will move on to Boston, Mass., for the coveted nationals on Memorial Day weekend.