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Water polo is a competitive team sport played in the water between two teams, seven in the water at a time. The game consists of four quarters, in which the two teams attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into their opponent's goal. Try it, and you'll be hooked !
This is the most physically and mentally challenging sport on Earth. Constant swimming keeps the body in great shape while the speed of the game itself trains reflexes and quick thinking as there is a thirty second shot clock. Water polo in essence takes the most difficult aspects of swimming, soccer, football, lacrosse, and basketball and puts them together in a 25 (or 30 in Olympics) meter pool. The synergy of the physical and mental aspects of water polo creates one of the most pure and true sports in the world.
Click above to hear from several players from around the world -
"Swimmers make great polo players, and it makes you a better swimmer too"
"Water polo builds endurance, self-confidence, and mental awareness"
"This sport involves strength, stamina, and smarts"
*More articles (linked at the top) regarding advantages of multi-sport athletes, rules, skills and drills, advice, and playing in college.
*Starring Captains: Anna O'Malley, Abby Ruppel, and Rebecca Waldron
*Starring Captains: Sebastian Isaacs, William Matthews, and Senior: Ben Wealand
UDWP Distinguished Honors
UDWP Distinguished Honors
All-American Recognition:
All-American Recognition:
William Matthews (5th Team All-American - 2024 Season)
Sebastian Isaacs (Honorable Mention Team All-American - 2024 Season)
William Matthews (Honorable Mention Team All-American - 2023 Season)
All-State Team Recognition - (1st Team; 2nd Team; 3rd Team; Honorable Mention Team, 10 athletes per team):
All-State Team Recognition - (1st Team; 2nd Team; 3rd Team; Honorable Mention Team, 10 athletes per team):
Abby Ruppel (1st Team - 2024)
Ava Brennan (2nd Team - 2024)
Anna Kolpakova (3rd Team - 2024)
Emma Madden (Honorable Mention - 2024)
William Matthews (1st Team - 2024) AND named PIAA Player of the Year "Mr. Water Polo" State MVP
Sebastian Isaacs (1st Team - 2024) Top Goalie of the State Finalist
Charlie Harbour (2nd Team - 2024)
Jason Guckavan (3rd Team - 2024)
Alex Horan (3rd Team - 2024)
Anna O'Malley (2nd Team - 2023)
Abby Ruppel (3rd Team - 2023)
Ava Brennan (Honorable Mention - 2023)
William Matthews (1st Team - 2023)
Sebastian Isaacs (2nd Team - 2023) Top Goalie of the State Finalist [Inaugural Year for this award]
Odin Andrews (3rd Team - 2023)
Alex Horan (Honorable Mention - 2023)
Emma McCarthy (2nd Team - 2022)
Anna O'Malley (3rd Team - 2022)
Abby Ruppel (3rd Team - 2022)
Sophia Horan (Honorable Mention - 2022)
Josh Foster (3rd Team - 2022)
William Matthews (3rd Team - 2022)
Emma McCarthy (3rd Team - 2021)
Anna O'Malley (Honorable Mention - 2021)
Luke Price (2nd Team - 2021)
Brendan Fitzgerald (3rd Team - 2021)
Jacob Robinson (Honorable Mention - 2021)
Jasmine Thek (1st Team - 2020) / Ms. Water Polo Award Finalist [Predated the Top Goalie Individual Award]
Emma McCarthy (Honorable Mention - 2020)
Luke Price (3rd Team - 2020)
Jasmine Thek (2nd Team - 2019)
Sydney Menszak (Honorable Mention - 2019)
Luke Price (Honorable Mention - 2019)
Jasmine Thek (2nd Team - 2018)
Kelly Regan (3rd Team - 2018)
Sydney Menszak (Honorable Mention - 2018)
Rebecca Pendleton (3rd Team - 2017)
Kelly Regan (3rd Team - 2017)
Kelly Regan (Honorable Mention - 2016)
Gavin Price (Honorable Mention - 2016)
Jenna Johns (Honorable Mention - 2015)
Doug Brown (Honorable Mention - 2015)
Team Awards
Team Awards
Girls: 3rd place finish in the State - 2024
Boys: 2nd place finish in the State - 2024 [3OT Loss (sudden-death) in Championship Game]
Boys: Suburban One League Champions - 2024
Boys: Champions of Flight II at Beast of East Tournament - 2024
Girls: 6th place finish in the State - 2023
Girls: 2nd place finish (runner-up) at Beast of East Tournament, Flight II - 2023
Boys: 3rd place finish in the State - 2023
Girls: 7th place finish in the State - 2022
Boys: 8th place finish in the State - 2022
Boys: 7th place finish in the State - 2021
Boys: Novice Tournament Champions - 2021
Girls: 3rd overall finish in the conference - 2019
Girls: 8th place finish in the State - 2018
Girls: 3rd overall finish in the conference - 2018
Girls: 8th place finish in the State - 2017
Girls: 3rd overall finish in the conference - 2017
Girls: 2nd place finish (runner-up) at Beast of East Tournament, Flight II - 2016
Girls inaugural year 2015
Boys inaugural year 2013
Jackie Shuman Award Winners [given to one senior at UD for their outstanding dedication to the program, hard work, and team spirit]:
Jackie Shuman Award Winners [given to one senior at UD for their outstanding dedication to the program, hard work, and team spirit]:
Rebecca Pendleton (Fall 2017 -- Award 2018)
Josh Foster (Fall 2022 -- Award 2023)
Suburban One League Featured Athletes:
Suburban One League Featured Athletes:
Emma McCarthy (2022)
Lucy Ruppel (2022)
Luke Price (2021)
Jasmine Thek (2020)
Congratulations to Jasmine Thek for her selection to ODP Northeast Zone National Team!
Congratulations to Jasmine Thek for her selection to ODP Northeast Zone National Team!
Fourteen athletes are selected from close states including PA, NJ, MD, NY, CT. This is a tremendous accomplishment considering the incredible talent and competition in the region. Jasmine and the team will compete in California March 15th - 17th (2019).
Congratulations UDWP!
Congratulations UDWP!
Remarkable Accomplishments
- Enterprise 2019
Congratulations to Coach Ianni for being named 2019 national winner for the Double-Goal Coach Award presented by Positive Coaching Alliance.
Congratulations to Coach Ianni for being named 2019 national winner for the Double-Goal Coach Award presented by Positive Coaching Alliance.
This award embodies the positive impact on youth while pursuing winning, and the even more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports - developing Better Athletes and Better People.
The Positive Coaching Alliance is recognizing these fifty winners across the nation who exemplify what great coaching is and how it impacts our youth— focusing on effort and mastery (Better Athletes), while also focusing on the more important goal of teaching life lessons and character development (Better People).
Positive Coaching Alliance's mission is to transform youth sports culture so that all youth and high school athletes have a positive, character-building experience. PCA's National Advisory Board is an all-volunteer group, whose primary role is to dispense advice through various workshops and online course curriculum.
The PCA board comprises current and former pro, college and Olympic coaches and athletes; world-class researchers and authors on sports and educational psychology; and academic, business and organizational leaders - including hall of fame NFL player Steve Young, hall of fame NBA coach Phil Jackson, astronaut Steve Smith, and many more.
The high school season for water polo is in the Fall for both boys and girls. This Fall (2022), the season begins Monday August 15th, and the PIAA State tournament is the first week of November. Water polo season always goes right into swim season! The two sports supplement each other perfectly; it is highly recommended to play both in middle school and high school.
Any questions about the high school season in the Fall, or any concerns about how to stay active playing water polo in the Spring and Summer, or any general questions about the sport, please contact boys and girls head coach Chris Ianni - cianni@udsd.org
Have Fun and Enjoy the Game!
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