BRIDGEPORT — The Carthage College women's water polo team enters the 2024 season ranked No. 5 in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Top 5 preseason poll, earning 50 points.

The Firebirds open their season on Saturday, January 25, with matches against Salem and UC Santa Barbara in Bloomington, Indiana. The weekend continues on Sunday, January 26, with contests against Cal State Northridge and McKendree.

Carthage heads to California for a challenging slate against Occidental, Caltech, and Chapman. The Firebirds' CWPA schedule begins on Saturday, February 8, with a matchup against Augustana (Ill.) at 3 p.m., followed by a 6 p.m. game against McKendree.

The team will travel to St. Paul, Minnesota, the following week to face Mercyhurst, Ottawa (Ariz.), Virginia Military Institute, and Caltech. The Firebirds will host their first home game of the season on Saturday, February 22, when they welcome McKendree at 2 p.m. Macalester visits on Friday, February 28, for a 5 p.m. match.

The Firebirds then head to Sherman, Texas, for the CWPA East Region Tournament from March 15-16, featuring games against Macalester, Austin, Penn State Behrend, and Augustana (Ill.).

Carthage wraps up their regular-season series with McKendree on Saturday, March 22, before heading to Grove City, Pennsylvania, for the CWPA Crossover Tournament. There, the Firebirds will face Washington and Jefferson, Wheaton (Mass.), Connecticut, and host Grove City.

Fans can catch all home matches live on the Carthage Athletics YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe for updates and live coverage throughout the season.