Jan. 18, 2010

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The 2010 LMU women's water polo season will have a new look to it, but opens the season with the same expectations with a schedule that features the nation's best and a preseason ranking of 11th in the nation.

For the first time in program history LMU will be led by a different head coach. Kyle Witt takes over for John Loughran, who was the first coach in the program's history and now only coaches the men. Witt is no stranger to the success both the men and women programs have accomplished the previous decade. He helped build the men at the beginning as a player and then the last several years he helped shape the future as the associate head coach of both programs.

What hasn't changed is the Lions' approach to take on anyone. The Lions' 2010 schedule will feature the best in the Western Water Polo Association and the nation's best. The Lions will open at WWPA foe UC San Diego and the 2010 Triton Invitational on Feb. 6-7. The Lions will then take on the national runner-up in 2009, USC on Feb. 13.

LMU will then return to campus for their home opener against UC San Diego on Feb. 20 at 12 noon. Then the Lions will get a big test on a national stage, playing in the UC Irivine Invitational Feb. 27-28. The tournament annually features the top-16 teams in the nation.

The following weekend the Lions will play 15th-ranked UC Santa Barbara and Fresno Pacific on Sunday, March 7. They will take on UCSB at 12 noon, followed by Fresno Pacific at 2:30 p.m.

LMU will then host 17th-ranked Cal State Bakersfield on Friday, March 12 at 3 p.m., then head to San Diego for a pair of games in the Aztec Invitational hosted by San Diego State. They will take on Marist at 11:45 p.m., and then Maryland at 6:00 p.m.

The Aztecs will also host the 2010 National Collegiate Water Polo Championships to end the season May 14-16.

The Lions will then return to campus to play their next seven games at home. They will play four games at their own LMU Invitational March 19-20. They will then host 20th-ranked Brown, sixth-ranked San Jose State and defending national champion and third-ranked UCLA on March 26, March 27 and April 8.

LMU will then go to the Santa Clara Invitational on April 10-11 before hosting ninth-ranked UC Irvine on April 16 and Pomona-Pitzer on April 18 to close out the regular season.

The 2010 WWPA Championships will be at Cal State Bakersfield on April 30 - May 2.