BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The 1995 Slippery Rock University women’s water polo National Championship team was recognized for the 30th anniversary of its title during the 2025 Rock Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet on Friday, September 12.
The 41st annual induction ceremony was held during the evening of September 12 at the Robert Smith Student Center Ballroom on the campus of Slippery Rock.
The 1995 women’s water polo team received a Special Recognition Award during the Hall of Fame ceremony for their United States Collegiate National Champions and Eastern Collegiate Championship laurels.
Competing prior to the commencement of a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship in 2001, the team won five other tournaments that year, including the Eastern Tournament, University of Toronto Invitational, the Slippery Rock University Tournament and the Southern Championships. The squad became the first varsity team from outside the state of California to win a women’s national title.
Coached by USA Water Polo Hall of Fame and Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) inductee Richard “Doc” Hunkler, The Rock posted a 25-3 overall record and took down Harvard University, the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of California-Davis and San Diego State University to capture the national title in dramatic fashion. SRU lost to San Diego State by a 10-6 score earlier in the tournament before bouncing back to defeat the Aztecs via an 8-7 margin in the championship game, becoming the first team in women’s water polo history to reach the championship match after losing once in the preliminary rounds.
Slippery Rock also claimed the Eastern Collegiate Championships title that year after going 5-0 in the tournament with wins over Harvard, Bucknell University, the University of Maryland and Wesleyan University.
The Rock took down numerous other programs that year, including Pennsylvania State University, the University of Michigan, Villanova University and Princeton University, in addition to the teams they defeated in the Eastern Collegiate Championships and the U.S. National Championships.
The squad was led by first team All-America selection Robbie Larson, Tracy Proietti and Jennifer Barr with Larson being named the National Player of the Year and the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the U.S. National Championships. Hunkler was also named the National Coach of the Year. Both Hunkler and Larson are members of the CWPA Hall of Fame.
The 1995 Slippery Rock team remains the only women’s collegiate water polo team from outside the state of California to win the U.S. National Championship. Every other team champion – including the NCAA Champions since 2001 – since the first championships in 1984 has come from the state of California.
1994-95 Water Polo Roster
Kira Baccari
Jennifer Barr
Alicia Best
Tammy Breunig
Brittany Casanave
Jonda Draucker
Jessica Eyre
Maria Guerra
Alexis Hayes
Jennifer Kasper
Robbie Larson
Tracy Proietti
Joan Saieva
Eleanor Schano
Kristen Spremullo
Pascale Stevens
Marnie Urso
Vanessa Wasik
Head Coach: Richard “Doc” Hunkler
1995 Slippery Rock University Women’s Water Polo Team
1995 Slippery Rock University Women’s Water Polo Team (September 2025)
