ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The No. 20 Navy water polo team (20-9) is set to host the 2024 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Tournament this weekend at Lejeune Hall in Annapolis, Md. The third-seeded Midshipmen open the tournament on Friday, Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m. against sixth-seeded Mount St. Mary's (5-27). The tournament continues through Sunday, Nov. 24 with the championship game slated for 1:30 p.m.
 
Tournament Information
Following the concluding weekend of regular season conference play, the seeding for the 2024 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Championship hosted by the United States Naval Academy at Lejeune Hall in Annapolis, Md., is completed.
 
The three-day, 12-game championship will be streamed live on Game On Live Studio at a cost of $25 for a weekend tournament pass (NOTE: no option for single game purchases).
 
For fans attending the MAWPC Championship, ticket prices are $25 for a three-day tournament pass or $10 for a one-day pass. Navy students, faculty and staff with a valid college ID, and senior citizens 65 and older, will be admitted at discounted prices of $10 (tournament pass) and $5 (one-day pass). All children 12 and under are free of charge. All tickets are exclusively available at the door as there will be no presale in advance of the championship.
 
For more information on Navy water polo, follow the team on Instagram (@NavyWaterPolo), X / Twitter (@NavyWaterPolo), and Facebook (@NavyWaterPolo).
 
Tournament Field
(1) Fordham (28-0, 14-0)
(2) George Washington (15-8, 11-3)
(3) Navy (20-9, 10-4)
(4) Wagner (15-16, 8-6)
(5) Bucknell (11-15, 7-7)
(6) Mount St. Mary's (5-27, 3-11) *
(7) Johns Hopkins (11-21, 3-11) *
(8) Mercyhurst (7-23, 0-14)
 
* – Mount St. Mary's edged out Johns Hopkins for the No. 6 seed courtesy goal differential as the Mountaineers defeated the Blue Jays 16-10 and dropped a 15-13 decision for a +4 differential (29-to-25).
 
Tournament Schedule
Friday, Nov. 22
Game 1 – 3:00 p.m. – (1) Fordham vs. (8) Mercyhurst
Game 2 – 4:30 p.m. – (4) Wagner vs. (5) Bucknell
Game 3 – 6:00 p.m. – (2) George Washington vs. (7) Johns Hopkins
Game 4 – 7:30 p.m. – (3) Navy vs. (6) Mount St. Mary's
 
Saturday, Nov. 23
Game 5 – 1:00 p.m. – Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 1
Game 6 – 2:30 p.m. – Loser Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3
Game 7 – 4:00 p.m. – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Game 8 – 5:30 p.m. – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4
 
Sunday, Nov. 24
Game 9 – 9:00 a.m. – Loser Game 6 vs. Loser Game 5 (Seventh Place)
Game 10 – 10:30 a.m. – Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 (Fifth Place)
Game 11 – 12:00 p.m. – Loser Game 8 vs. Loser Game 7 (Third Place)
Game 12 – 1:30 p.m. – Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 (First Place)
 
National Ranking
The Midshipmen hold steady at No. 20 in the latest Collegiate Water Polo Association national poll. Top-seeded Fordham is tied for third in the latest poll
 
Including the preseason poll, Navy has been ranked in 10 of 11 weeks of the 2024 season, while receiving votes for one week. The Mids have risen as high as 17 in the poll. The Midshipmen were ranked each week of the year in 2023, starting during the preseason poll, closing out the season at No. 17.
 
All-Conference
The MAWPC announced its all-conference honorees and three Navy student-athletes were selected. Kiefer Black was named to the first team, while Orion Erwin was tabbed second team. Additionally, Michael Heller claimed honorable mention distinction.
 
Black, who was named to the Cutino Award Watch List earlier in the season, leads the team with 150 points on 84 goals and 66 assists season action in all 29 games this season. The sophomore has registered his second consecutive 100-point season. Additionally, Black finished the regular season with 29 steals, 23 ejections drawn, and 16 hat tricks, including 10 versus conference opponents. During the season he was named MAWPC Offensive Player of the Week three times (Sept. 9, Sept. 23, Nov. 4).
 
Erwin finished his first regular season with 32 goals and 24 assists for 56 points in 28 games played. The Encinitas, Calif. native recorded three hat tricks on the year, including a pair against ranked opponents – No. 20 Bucknell (5 goals) and No. 19 Brown (3). Defensively, Erwin added 21 steals and 43 ejections drawn. He was selected as the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Rookie of the Week (Oct. 14) once.
 
Heller, who was a First Team All-MAWPC selection in 2022, played in all 29 games, registering 45 goals and 13 assists for 58 points. The Menlo Park, Calif. native recorded eight hat tricks on the year, including a pair against league foes. Defensively, Heller added 18 steals and 22 ejections drawn.
 
Scouting the Midshipmen
Navy enters the weekend 20-9 overall, securing the No. 3 seed in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference with a 10-4 record in league games.
 
Kiefer Black leads the team, entering the weekend with 150 points on 84 goals and 66 assists. The sophomore has registered his second consecutive 100-point season, joining Luis Nicolao (118 point in 1990; 114 in 1991) and Doug Munz (113 points in 1993; 184 points in 1994) as the only players in program history with multiple 100-point seasons. Last season, Black finished with 125 points, which ranked third in Navy's single-season records.
 
For his career, Black is currently 11th in program history with 275 total points on 152 goals and 123 assists. He is six points back of David Kaye ('86), who finished his career with 281 points, for 10th; nine points back of Isaac Salinas ('22) for ninth with 284 points; and 12 points behind Alex Ratcliffe ('06) for eighth with 287 points. Additionally, he is the sixth player in program history with 100 or more helpers, entering the weekend in second place with 123. He is 16 assists back of Tom Popp ('89) who holds the school record with 139.
 
Michael Heller, Orion Erwin, Luka Sekulic, and Quinn Bartlett follow Black to round out Navy's top five. Heller has 58 points on 45 goals and 13 assists, while Erwin is two points back with 56 points on 32 goals and 24 assists. Sekulic has 54 points on 43 scores and 11 helpers, while Bartlett is relatively balanced with 28 goals and 25 assists for 53 points.
 
Billy Zech follows with 35 goals, while Maddox Garrahy adds 32 scores and Holden Seybold (29 goals) and Matt Mai-Prasarnsuk (20) round out Navy's 20-goal scorers. Henry Williams (19), Austin Kahn (17), and Sam Collingwood (10) close out the Mids' double-digit scorers.
 
Kahn is second on the team with 30 assists with Bartlett (25), Rory Begin (24), Erwin (24), Williams (18), Mai-Prasarnsuk (14), Heller (13), Seybold (13), and Sekulic (11) chipping in double-digit helpers.
 
Defensively, Navy primarily used three goalkeepers on the year. Ryan Munch leads the team with 135 saves, while Jack Hightower and Jack Rodoni follow with 62 and 58 stops, respectively. Seybold leads the team with 33 steals, while Black (29), Mai-Prasarnsuk (29), Kahn (24), Erwin (21), Hightower (21), Munch (21), and Sekulic (21) follow with 20-plus takeaways apiece. Bartlett (19), Garrahy (19), Heller (18), Begin (15), Williams (15), and Zech (14) round out Navy's double-digit steals.
 
Garrahy leads the team with 62 ejections drawn with Zech, Erwin, Bartlett, Black, and Heller following with 48, 43, 33, 23 and 22 kickouts drawn, correspondingly.