Water Polo Announces 2022 Schedule
11/5/2021 10:17:00 AM | Water Polo
• 2022 U-M Water Polo Schedule
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan water polo program and head coach Dr. Marcelo Leonardi announced the release of the 2022 schedule on Friday (Nov. 5).
Michigan is set to host the NCAA Championship in Canham Natatorium in May, after hosting an exciting slate of 10 regular-season matches in the Wolverines' home pool.
"We are very excited about playing a normal competition schedule this year," said Leonardi. "With the support of our administration, we created a challenging schedule that promotes a strong RPI and allows us to play many of the best programs throughout the country. The ability to travel to various institutions and compete on a weekly basis is how we can improve, prepare and test ourselves."
Michigan will open the season at the Arizona State Invitational, Jan. 21-23, where it will take on Fresno State, Cal, UC Irvine and Arizona State. The following weekend the Wolverines will return home to the friendly confines of Canham to host the Michigan Invitational, Jan. 29-30, with participants including Hawaii, Stanford, Marist and 2021 national runner-up UCLA.
After a bye week, the Maize and Blue is set to make one of two trips to California for the season, heading to San Diego to take part in the Triton Invitational, hosted by UC San Diego, Feb. 12-13. Michigan will then return to the Golden State to play in the Irvine Invitational, Feb. 25-27.
The Wolverines then welcome Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) foes Bucknell and Saint Francis as well as Salem and Iona to Ann Arbor for the Wolverine Invitational, March 5-6. The homestand continues March 19 when Indiana pays a visit.
"We are also excited to be hosting two tournaments in Ann Arbor so our families and the community can watch water polo matches in person at Canham Natatorium," said Leonardi. "We are also humbled at the opportunity to host the 2022 Women's NCAA Championship in May. It looks to be an exciting year."
U-M will then make its first conference road trip of the season to Emmitsburg, Md., where the Wolverines will take on host Mount St. Mary's and Brown on March 19. The final home game of the season comes six days later, Friday, March 25, against Cal.
Michigan will then hit the road for more CWPA action, taking on Harvard, Princeton, Bucknell and Mount St. Mary's, April 2-3, in Princeton, N.J. The regular season will wrap with a trip to Cambridge, Mass., to face Brown, Princeton, Harvard and Saint Francis, April 9-10.
The CWPA Championship will be held April 22-24 at a site that is still to be determined. The University of Michigan is the host for the 2022 NCAA Water Polo Championship, May 6-8.
Official start times for all matches will be determined at a later date. Before the spring season begins, the Wolverines will travel to Bloomington, Ind., to take on Indiana in a pair of fall exhibitions on Saturday, Nov. 13.
Michigan went 21-5 in the 2021 season, winning the CWPA Championship and advancing to the NCAA Championship.
