Aug. 24, 2009

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- LMU men's water polo, who has won the last two Western Water Polo Association championships, claim all 12 of the possible first place votes in the 2009 WWPA Preseason Coaches Poll to be tabbed as the favorite for the upcoming season.

The Lions earn 157 total points out of a maximum of 157 in the poll to be the favorite to repeat their 2007 and 2008 titles, as voted on by the 13 head coaches of the WWPA (coaches cannot vote for their own team). UC San Diego finishes with 141 points in the poll to claim second place. Santa Clara and UC Davis round out the top-four with 135 and 127 points, respectively.

Taking fifth place in the poll is Air Force with 109 points, followed by Redlands at 98 and Pomona with 86 points to round out the top-seven. Whittier finished eighth, followed by Claremont at ninth. Cal Lutheran was 10th, followed by Chapman, Occidental and La Verne.

Leading the WWPA in 2009 will be a pair of first-team All-WWPA selections, 2008 WWPA Player of the Year Andy Stevens of LMU and redshirt senior Jack Wall of Santa Clara. They are the only two from the first-team returning in 2009. Second-team selections slated to return this season are LMU junior Tibor Forai, UC San Diego senior Daniel Garcia, Pomona-Pitzer junior Ben Hadley, Air Force senior Jack Hines, Redlands senior Brendan Meaney and Whittier senior Casey Regehr.

2009 WWPA Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Loyola Marymount - 157 points (12 first place votes)
2. UC San Diego - 141 (1)
3. Santa Clara - 135
4. UC Davis - 127
5. Air Force - 109
6. Redlands - 98
7. Pomona - 86
8. Whittier - 81
9. Claremont - 73
10. Cal Lutheran - 58
11. Chapman - 51
12. Occidental - 39
13. La Verne - 28

- GO LIONS -