LOUDONVILLE, NY – Following the premature cancellation of its Spring 2020 season, Siena Water Polo will take to the pool for the first time in 384 days this weekend, and will do so at home for the first time in nearly three years. The Saints (0-0, 0-0) are set to host MAAC rival LIU (0-0, 0-0) at the Siena Swim Center on Saturday, March 27, with match time scheduled for 7:00 PM.
Live Twitter updates from tomorrow's season opening match will be available by following @SienaWaterPolo on Twitter. A video stream of the game will also be available on Twitter, with the link available at the top of the article. Due to MAAC protocols prohibiting spectators at contests through the end of March, there will be no fans allowed at this weekend's contest.
 Under the direction of second year head coach Alex Williams, Siena is coming off its most successful season in program history, despite its abrupt ending. The Saints posted a 7-6 overall record in 2020, ending the year with the first winning record in program history and tied for the best mark in non-conference play. Siena's final match saw program records for most goals and largest margin of victory broken, when they took down Connecticut College, 27-5, on March 8, 2020.
Williams and the Saints will not only take the pool in MAAC play for the first time since April 14, 2019 and the first time in his coaching career, but will do so at home for the first time since March 30, 2018. The Saints are 0-1 all-time against LIU, with the second-year program besting the Green and Gold, 9-8, in the inaugural meeting between the two programs on February 22, 2020.
Picked to finish seventh in the 2021 MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll, Siena returns nine letterwinners from last season, including 2021 Preseason All-MAAC selection Georgia Vargas. Vargas ranked second on the team with 34 goals scored and third with 47 points, while fellow junior Bianca Prinsloo enters the year as the top offensive returner, with 24 goals and 49 points during her sophomore campaign. The Saints also return seniors Kristen Burger and Sophia Torres, with Torres being selected as a Preseason All-MAAC selection in the previous two seasons. Sophomores Anna Mossakowski and Sydney Jones split time in-between-the-pipes last season, with each playing in seven matches. Siena also added five newcomers to its roster for 2021, with goalkeepers Caroline Behr & Mackenzie Peters, attackers Kaley Bigley & Sydney Arnold and utility Emelene Burek signing on. Saturday's match will act as Senior Day, with Burger, Torres, and Anna Borton being honored prior to the start of the game.
Saturday's march kicks off a scheduled nine-match MAAC season for the seven active teams this year, with the Saints planning to host four total meets at the Siena Swim Center. The top four teams in the league will advance to the 2021 MAAC Tournament, which will be held May 1-2 in Poughkeepsie, New York.
