BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — United States of America (USA) Water Polo Women’s National Team Head Coach Adam Krikorian announced the roster of 15 athletes selected for competition at the upcoming 2023 World Aquatics World Championships set for Saturday-Friday, July 15-29 in Fukuoka, Japan. Among the 15 athletes are a pair of Princeton University athletes as current Tiger Jovana Sekulic (Jr., Belgrade, Serbia/The Episcopal Academy (Pa.)) and alumna/two-time Olympic Gold Medalist goalkeeper Ashleigh Johnson ’17 highlight the roster.
Only 13 athletes will be eligible for each match and they will be determined prior to each game day. The defending World Champions, the USA Women, are looking to continue their run of dominance after coming off a gold medal at the 2023 World Aquatics World Cup in Long Beach. Team USA has won the last four World Championships claiming titles in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2022. They have won seven World Championships overall including gold medals in 2009, 2007 and 2003.
Team USA has been drawn into Group A where the action begins Saturday, July 15 when the United States opens play against China at 5:00 p.m. Pacific/8:00 p.m. Eastern. They’ll also meet Australia and France in group play. Live streaming of the World Championships will be available on NBC Peacock (login required).
For more information on the 2023 World Aquatics World Championships, visit the official website by CLICKING HERE.
An All-America selection every season she competed at Princeton, Johnson led the United States to the gold medal in women’s water polo at the 2016 Rio and 2020/2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, becoming just the fifth Princeton athlete to ever win multiple gold medals.
Named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 in the Sports category and a 2017 Princeton graduate, Johnson is among only two Tigers’ athletes ever to win an Olympic gold medal (in 2016) and then come back to compete at Princeton (former United States Senator/men’s basketball player Bill Bradley was the other).
The recipient of the C. Otto von Kienbusch and Cutino Awards during her senior season in 2017, she was the first player in Princeton women’s water polo history to be named first team All-America and third ever to be selected All-America in each of her four seasons. Johnson finished her Princeton career with a 100-17 record, along with a school-record 1,362 saves and a .693 save percentage. She was a 19-time CWPA Defensive Player of the Week award winner, a four-time first-team all-conference player and the CWPA Player of the Year.
The 2022 CWPA Rookie of the Year and 2023 Most Valuable Player, Sekulic recently wrapped a sophomore season that saw her earn All-America status after she led the team with 76 goals and 93 drawn ejections, producing 14 hat tricks and 24 contests with at least two drawn ejections. She, along with 2023 CWPA Rookie of the Year/goalkeeper Lindsey Lucas (Fr., Orinda, Calif./Miramonte), were the first players in program history to be named to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship All-Tournament First-Team after scoring two goals and drawing six ejections in the Tigers’ two NCAA games.
The duo are among three former/current CWPA student-athletes in the Team USA traveling party as Johnson and Sekulic join 2011 University of Maryland graduate/former Terrapins’ water polo standout Allison Beck who will serve as the squad’s Team Manager.
A 2011 CWPA Southern Division Second Team All-Conference selection and the 2011 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Women’s Water Polo Championship Most Valuable Player, the Mission Viejo, Calif., native and Santa Margarita Catholic alumnus totaled 125 goals, 51 assists, 63 steals and 118 drawn kickouts in 130 games as a Terrapin during the 2008-11 seasons.
2023 World Aquatics World Championships Roster (13 athletes to be selected prior to each match)
- Ashleigh Johnson (Miami, Fla./Princeton/NYAC)
- Maddie Musselman (Newport Beach, Calif./UCLA)
- Tara Prentice (Temecula, Calif./UC Irvine/Sant Andreu)
- Rachel Fattal (Seal Beach, Calif./UCLA/NYAC)
- Maggie Steffens (Danville, Calif./Stanford/Sabadell)
- Emily Ausmus (Riverside, Calif./ML King HS/SOCAL)
- Ryann Neushul (Goleta, Calif./Stanford/NYAC)
- Kaleigh Gilchrist (Newport Beach, Calif./USC/NYAC)
- Bayley Weber (Los Alamitos, Calif./USC/NYAC)
- Jordan Raney (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Stanford/NYAC)
- Amanda Longan (Moorpark, Calif./USC/NYAC)
- Jovana Sekulic (Belgrade, Serbia/Princeton)
- Jenna Flynn (San Jose, Calif./Stanford/San Jose/Almaden Water Polo)
- Ella Woodhead (San Anselmo, Calif./Stanford/SHAQ)
- Jewel Roemer (Martinez, Calif./Stanford/680 Water Polo)
- Head Coach – Adam Krikorian
- Assistant Coaches – Molly Cahill, Chris Oeding
- Video Coach – Andrew Silva
- Team Manager – Ally Beck
- Sports Medicine Manager – Larnie Boquiren
2023 World Aquatics World Championships Schedule (subject to change)
- Saturday, July 15 – vs. China – 5:00 p.m. Pacific/8:00 p.m Eastern
- Tuesday, July 18 – vs. Australia – 1:30 a.m. Pacific/4:30 a.m. Eastern
- Thursday, July 20 – vs. France – Midnight Pacific/3:00 a.m. Eastern
- Saturday, July 22 – Crossover Round
- Monday, July 24 – Quarterfinal Round
- Wednesday, July 26 – Semifinal Round
- Friday, July 28 – Final Round
