Women's Water Polo Tops No. 6 Macalester and No. 5 Augustana

SHERMAN, Texas - The No. 10-ranked Austin College women's water polo team completed its unbeaten home weekend on Sunday in Hannah Natatorium, topping No. 6-ranked Macalester 11-8 and holding off No. 5 Augustana 14-13 to improve to 7-7 overall and 4-0 in conference play.

In the opening game of the day against Macalester, the 'Roos jumped out to a 3-2 lead in the first quarter with two tallies from Ashley Chand and another from Bianca Gallegos, and after the Scots evened things up early in the second, the 'Roos closed the half in dominating fashion, scoring six unanswered to head into halftime leading 9-3. Camila Diarte found the back of the cage twice, while Chand, Gallegos, McKenna Malone, and Joslyn Dimitri each scored once.

Macalester started to chip away at the Austin College lead in the third, limiting the 'Roos to one goal in the quarter while denting the twine twice to cut it to 10-5, and an early goal in the fourth made it a 10-6 contest. Malone pushed the margin to 11-6 with just over six minutes left to play, and after the Scots trimmed it to an 11-8 game with 1:39 left, the 'Roos clamped down defensively and would not let Macalester get any closer to secure the victory. Chand had a game-best three goals, while Gallegos, Malone, and Diarte each scored twice.

The 'Roos closed out the weekend with a thriller over defending CWPA Division III champs Augustana, as Austin College scored first on a tally by Clara Koenig just seconds into the game but the Vikings closed the first with four unanswered to head into the second frame leading 4-1. Austin College quickly battled back, scoring four straight to open the second quarter and grab a 5-4 lead, with Chand getting things started with a pair of goals and Morgan Evans scoring to even things up. Diarte put the 'Roos ahead, and after Augustana leveled things with just under three minutes left in the half, Malone put one in the cage to make it a 6-5 game. Gallegos scored as the clock expired to send the 'Roos into the break leading 7-5. 

Gallegos and Koenig tallied to start the third quarter, making it a 9-5 game, and after a goal by the Vikings, Gallegos scored again to push it to a 10-6 lead. However, the Vikings closed the period with three straight to trim the margin to 10-9 heading into the final eight minutes of play. Dimitri pushed the lead back to two at 11-9 early in the fourth, but Augustana scored two in a row to level things midway through the quarter. Sophia King put Austin College back on top a few seconds later, but once again, the Vikings managed to tally to make it a 12-12 game with just over three minutes left. King found the back of the cage again to regain the lead for Austin College, and Koenig gave the 'Roos a 14-12 cushion with 1:30 left. The Vikings cut it to 14-13 with a minute left and had a chance to force overtime, but a last second effort went over the bar to preserve the win for the 'Roos.

Koenig and Gallegos each scored three times to lead Austin College, and King and Chand each scored twice. Dimitri, Evans, Diarte, and Malone all tallied once in the victory.