For the second time in three seasons, Siena Water Polo is set to begins its season at the Bruno Invitational in Providence, RI. The Saints will commence their 2019 campaign by facing off against Bucknell at 8 AM and #18 Harvard at 6 PM on Saturday and will close out the weekend with Cal Lutheran at 8 AM and host-school Brown at 1:50 PM on Sunday. In addition to the Crimson being ranked in the latest Collegiate Water Polo Association Top 25, the Bison and Bears each received votes in the poll.

Follow the Saints' opening weekend by clicking on the corresponding links at the top of the page. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+ as part of coverage of the tournament. Continuous updates will also be provided throughout the day via the water polo team's official Twitter page @SienaWaterPolo. Join the conversation by using the hashtags #MarchOn, #SienaSaints, and #MAACWWP.

Looking to build off an 8-21 overall record and a 5-9 mark in MAAC play last season, Siena will be led into battle by second-year Head Coach Tamara Perea and nine returning letter winners, six of whom are upperclassmen. A team captain along with senior Kennedy Joseph, Junior attacker Diana Fernandez begins the year after picking up Second Team All-MAAC honors in each of her first two campaigns.

"We're excited to play come solid competitive games this weekend," Perea said. "I expect to come away have learned a lot about where we are as a team. I foresee us only getting better day by day from here on out."

Along with being picked to finish seventh in the 2019 MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll, the Saints saw representatives earn Preseason All-MAAC honors for the first time since 2011. Fernandez and sophomore Defender Sophia Torres both were honored on the list, with Fernandez setting the program's all-time mark in ejections drawn last season and Torres picking up a pair of MAAC Rookie of the Week nods.

Among the five seniors that top Perea's roster are Joseph, Nichol Feldtz and Terez Touhey, who each return after missing substantial time due to injury in 2018. The team's primary goalkeeper, Joseph played in just seven contests to close out the season, while Touhey was sidelined for the whole year. Feltdz slid into the starting goalkeeper role and won MAAC Defensive Player of the week on April 4, 2018 before missing time at the end of the season.

Additionally, the squad picks up depth with freshmen Bianca Prinsloo and Georgia Vargas joining as members of its 2018 signing class. The first international player in the history of the program, Prinsloo was called up to the South African National Team last fall. Vargas was a standout at Rosary Academy (CA), winning the Orange County Register Player of the Year in 2017.

Siena will be in action over five of the next six weekends, next heading to Lewisburg, PA to taking part in the Bison Invitational at Bucknell University Feb. 9-10.