2008 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship
The 2008 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship was the 40th annual NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship to determine the national champion of NCAA men's collegiate water polo. Tournament matches were played at the Avery Aquatic Center in Stanford, California from December 6–7, 2008.[1][2]
 | |
| Dates | December 6–7, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Teams | 4 |
| Champions | USC (4th title) |
| Runners-up | Stanford (20th title game) |
| Matches played | 4 |
| Goals scored | 61 (15.25 per match) |
| Attendance | 2,660 (665 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | Kyle Wertz, Navy (6) |
| Best player | J.W. Krumpholz, USC |
← 2007 2009 → | |
USC defeated Stanford in the final, 7–5, to win their fourth national title. The undefeated Trojans (29–0) were coached by Jovan Vavic.[3] This would go on to become the first of USC's record six straight national championships (2008–2013).
The Most Outstanding Player of the tournament was J.W. Krumpholz from USC. Additionally, two All-Tournament Teams were named: a First Team (with seven players, including Krumpholz) and a Second Team (also with ninth players).
The tournament's leading scorer, with 6 goals, was Kyle Wertz from Navy.
Qualification
Since there has only ever been one single national championship for water polo, all NCAA men's water polo programs (whether from Division I, Division II, or Division III) were eligible. A total of 4 teams were invited to contest this championship.
| Team | Appearance | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Loyola Marymount | 6th | 2007 |
| Navy | 14th | 2007 |
| USC | 23rd | 2007 |
| Stanford | 29th | 2005 |
Bracket
- Site: Avery Aquatic Center, Stanford, California
| Semifinals December 6 |
Championship December 7 | |||||||
| 1 | USC (27–0) | 14 | ||||||
| 4 | Navy (20–9) | 9 | ||||||
| 1 | USC | 7 | ||||||
| 2 | Stanford | 5 | ||||||
| 2 | Stanford (24–5) | 6 | ||||||
| 3 | Loyola Marymount (20–9) | 5 | Third Place December 7 | |||||
| 4 | Navy | 4 | ||||||
| 3 | Loyola Marymount | 11 | ||||||
All-tournament teams
First Team
- J.W. Krumpholz, USC (Most outstanding player)
- Shea Buckner, USC
- Tim Hummel, Loyola Marymount
- Matt Sagehorn, USC
- Andy Stevens, Loyola Marymount
- Drac Wigo, Stanford
- Sage Wright, Stanford
Second Team
- Tibor Forai, Loyola Marymount
- Tim Heafner, Loyola Marymount
- Will Hindle-Katel, Stanford
- Peter Kurzeka, USC
- Arjan Ligtenberg, USC
- Mike Mulvey, Navy
- Jimmie Sandman, Stanford
- Jovan Vranes, USC
- Janson Wigo, Stanford
References
- "Top-Seeded Trojans Go For Four". USCTrojans.com. USC Trojans Water Polo News Archive. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
- "Undefeated Trojans Are National Champions!". USCTrojans.com. USC Trojans Water Polo News Archive. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
- "Men's Water Polo Championship Results" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. Retrieved June 6, 2015.