BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Harvard University’s Niki Piovan (So., Vouliagmeni, Greece/HAEF Athens College) shot zero-for-one as Greece dropped a 15-14 penalty shootout contest to the United States in both teams’ second game of Group B at the 2025 World Aquatics Women’s Junior World Championships (U20) in Salvador, Brazil.
Greece – which falls to 1-1 at the event following a prior 13-11 victory versus Italy on Sunday, August 10 – led the Americans 4-2, 6-4 and 8-7 at the end of the first, second and third quarters, respectively. However, the United States rallied back to tie the contest at 10-all by the termination of regulation and outscored the Greeks 5-4 in the ensuing penalty shootout to escape with a one-goal victory.
Greece will next be in action at 7:00 p.m. local/6:00 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, August 12, against Hungary in the final Group B contest for both nations.
All matches for the 2025 World Aquatics Women’s Junior World Championships are scheduled to stream live on the World Aquatics YouTube site. Live statistics and postgame box scores are available from MicroPlus Timing Services.
Piovan is coming off a championship season with the Crimson as Harvard recorded the program’s inaugural Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) women’s title by knocking off Princeton University in overtime, 10-8, at Brown University in Providence, R.I., on April 27. The 2025 CWPA Championship Rookie of the Tournament, she also became the fourth Harvard women’s athlete to claim a regular season Rookie of the Year award since the creation of the honor prior to the 2003 season to join Devan Kennifer (Harvard – 2009 – Northern Division), Melissa Balding (Harvard – 2014 – Southern Division) and teammate Maya O’Dea (Jr., Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow Wilson) on the list.
A 2025 CWPA Championship All-Tournament Third Team honoree, she claimed four league Rookie of the Week nods (February 24, March 10, March 17, April 28) and an All-Conference First Team laurel to go along with Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) Third Team All-America status for posting 106 points with 58 goals 48 assists.
