Ava Houlahan
Photo by: David Frerker Sports Photography 2025
No. 10 Women's Water Polo Finishes Regular Season vs. No. 18 Wagner
PRINCETON – The No. 10 Princeton Women's Water Polo Team takes on the No. 18 Wagner Seahawks at DeNunzio Pool on Wednesday.
With a victory, the Tigers will reach the 20-win milestone for the fourth straight season and seventh consecutive full campaign. It's also the team's Let Her Play game. Fans can get swag from Let Her Sports and Pricnceton along with getting autographs from the team after the game. You can register for the event at www.letherplay.org/events.
Wagner is 19-7 this season and went 11-1 in the MAAC. The Tigers and Seahawks met on January 26th with the Tigers collecting a 20-9 victory. Ava Houlahan and Kayla Yelensky led the squad with four goals each while Rachael Carver posted six helpers which led to her breaking the program's all-time assist record. Princeton leads the all-time series against Wagner, 21-4.
Yelensky leads the team in scoring with 85 goals and 103 points overall, adding 42 drawn ejections. She is currently third all-time with 269 tallies while her 81 this season is just the sixth time a Tiger has ever recorded 80+ goals in a season. Carver has already surpassed her career best in goals with 41 while also producing 50 helpers, 25 steals and 23 drawn ejections. Ava Houlahan has also set a new personal best with 36 tallies along with 25 assists and 28 steals. Shanna Davidson has an almost even split of goals (34) and assists (35). Other top goal scorers include Emese Batizi (24), Olivia Krotts (20), Ally Lurie (18), Kate Mallery (17), Kendall Wyer (15) and Charlotte Riches (13).
Head coach Derek Ellingson recently earned the USA Water Polo Northeast Zone Sandy Nitta Award. Overall, Ellingson has led the team to a 122-39 mark in his six campaigns as head coach. Princeton has won consecutive CWPA crowns and reached the NCAA Semifinals in 2023. It marked the first time that a non-West Coast school reached the Final Four since 2016.
