COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Goalkeeper Ava Dominick (Jr., Simi Valley, Calif.) made 13 saves – including seven stops in the second quarter – to allow No. 1-ranked/Big Ten Division Champion/defending National Champion the University of Michigan to top fellow No. 1-nationally ranked/Southwest Division Champion the University of California-San Diego, 8-7, to make the 2024 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship title game.
Michigan – which has placed first (2023), second (2010, 2014, 2016), third (2007, 2011, 2015), fourth (2012, 2013, 2022) and seventh (2009) in their other trips to Nationals – will seek to join Michigan State University (2001-2002), California Polytechnic State University (2003-2005; 2008-2011) and the University of California-Davis (2012-2013; 2017-2018) as the only institutions to repeat as Women’s National Collegiate Club Champions in back-to-back seasons.
The Wolverines – which knocked off the University of California-Santa Barbara by an 8-6 score last year at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) for the program’s inaugural National Championship in women’s water polo – will seek to make history at 12:45 p.m. Central on Sunday, May 5, against the winner of a semifinal matching No. 4/Pacific Coast Division Champion UCLA and No. 1/Sierra Pacific Division Champion the University of California-Davis.
In the history of the Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship dating back to 2000, the University of Washington (2000), Michigan State University (2001, 2002, 2006), the University of Florida (2019) and Michigan (2023) are the lone non-California teams to take home the title.
UC-San DIego – which holds prior Fifth (2018) and Third (2022) place finishes at the National Championship – is guaranteed to add the programs’ second Top Four finish as the Tritons will tangle with the loser of the UCLA/UC-Davis game at 11:30 a.m. Central on Sunday, May 5, for Third Place.
Michigan never trailed against UC-San Diego as Claire Tuttle (Sr., Hudsonville, Mich.) buried a man-up strike into the cage and the duo of Zannah Baker (So., Ann Arbor, Mich.) and Mia Barr (Jr., San Diego, Calif.) followed with natural goals at 3:05 and 2:34 in the first quarter to build the Maize & Blue a 3-0 margin.
Following a power-play response by Tania Frank (Jr., Sunnyvale, Calif.) with 1:59 remaining in the opening seven minutes to trim the Wolverines’ lead to 3-1, Emma Kaipainen (So., Ann Arbor, Mich.) scored twice in the second quarter by cashing in on even-strength (3:43) and man-up (43 seconds) opportunities as Michigan went to its corner clinging to a 5-1 scoreboard advantage after 14 minutes.
The Tritons sharpened their forks during the break and stuck the Wolverines with third quarter goals by Frank (4:03) and Cecilia Sommerfield (So., Mercer Island, Wash.) (2:08) to move UC-San Diego within a pair at 5-3. Kaipainen delivered a counterpoint at 1:50 to double-up UC-San Diego by a 6-3 count prior to Juila Derunes (Sr., San Diego, Calif.) cashing in a man-up opportunity with 53 ticks left on the clock to slash the Wolverines’ lead back to a pair at 6-4 heading into the fourth quarter.
Barr (5:13) and Tara Bharadia (Fr., Palos Verdes, Calif.) (4:57) appeared to insulate Michigan to a near certain victory with an 8-4 lead and under five minutes to play.
However, UC-San Diego had other ideas as Frank fired in a penalty shot (3:44) and Derunes (1:57) swished an even-strength bid to turn up the heat on the defending champions. Following another score by Elizabeth Hernandez (Fr., Murrieta, Calif.) at 1:06 to trim the Tritons’ deficit down to 8-7, the potential of overtime become realistic.
The defending National Champions turned to what got them the crown last year – defense – as the Maize & Blue became a brick wall in front of Dominick to stymie the Tritons and hang on for a return trip to the National Championship game.
For UC-San Diego, Frank (three) and Derunes (two) accounted for five goals with Sommerfield and Hernandez tacking on solo scores. Goalkeeper Story Waxman (So., Santa Monica, Calif.) stopped nine shots in taking the loss.
Kaipainen led the Wolverines’ attack with three goals to go along with strikes from Barr (two), Baker, Tuttle and Bharadia.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| No. 1 University of California-San Diego |
1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | – | 7 |
| No. 1 University of Michigan | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | – | 8 |
| Michigan Goals: | Emma Kaipainen (3); Mia Barr (2); Zannah Baker; Claire Tuttle; Tara Bharadia | |||||
| UC-San Diego Goals: | Tania Frank (3); Julia Derunes (2); Cecilia Sommerfield; Elizabeth Hernandez | |||||
| Saves: | Michigan – Ava Dominick (13) ; UC-San Diego – Story Waxman (9) | |||||
| Exclusions: | Michigan – 5 ; UC-San Diego – 7 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Michigan – 2-for-7 ; UC-San Diego – 3-for-5 | |||||
| Sprints: | Michigan – 4-for-4 ; UC-San Diego – 0-for-4 | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | None | |||||
| Officials: | Jennifer Frain, Philippe Knall | |||||
University of Michigan’s Meredit Holm (#3)
The University of California-San Diego’s Julia Derunes (#13)
The University of Michigan’s Ava Dominick (#1) make a save on a shot by the University of California-San Diego’s Amanda Martilla (#2)
