Marist water polo started hot with a 6-2 overall record through the first two weekends to begin the 2026 season.
The Red Foxes roster brought back five essential senior and standout juniors: utility Samantha Bentley and attacker Kendell De Beer. The past two seasons ended all too familiarly for Marist. They battled all season, climbing up the Collegiate Water Polo Association coaches’ polls and ranks, upsetting seeded teams and dominating MAAC play throughout the tournament in the McCann Center.
With no places left in the stands to sit during last year’s MAAC championship, the home team crowd showed out for their Red Foxes matchup against Wagner in the championship game. Marist put on a standout performance, coming back from a once-7-2 deficit and cutting the Wagner lead by one goal in the third.
Despite senior goalie Ines Sanchez’s seven saves and a hat trick from Bentley, the Red Foxes fell for the second year in a row to Wagner, missing a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
In 2026, Marist’s schedule slated them to play MAAC schools Siena and Wagner in their opening tournament at the Bruno Classic.
The Red Foxes cruised through Siena, defeating the Saints 22-5, spearheaded by a dominant second quarter. By halftime, Marist led 8-4, and there was no looking back, scoring six unanswered goals in the third. Marist added five more goals in the last quarter to put an exclamation mark on their first win of 2026.
The Bruno Classic continued for the Red Foxes that afternoon against their familiar foe, Wagner. But this time around, things were different. Carrying momentum from the morning, the Red Foxes had yet another dominant second quarter.
Leading Wagner 3-2 heading into the second, Marist outscored the Seahawks in the second for a 7-5 lead at halftime. The Red Foxes proved aggressive on both ends of the pool with high offensive pressure that frustrated the Wagner defense. In rhythm, Marist controlled the rest of the matchup and went on to defeat the back-to-back MAAC champions for the first time since 2015.
Senior goalie Ines Sanchez received the MAAC Defensive Player of the Week after the weekend, saving four of five shots in the game against Siena and 12-of-14 against Wagner.
Marist continued their winning streak at the Princeton Invitational against No. 20 in the nation, Brown, by a narrow two-goal victory, led by a four-goal game from senior utility Paige Naegle.
In their second game of the invitational, the Red Foxes were set to face the home team, Princeton. With a hot start, Marist led 5-2 at the end of the first quarter. In a slow defensive quarter for the Red Foxes, Princeton snuck back in securing a one-goal lead at the half.
Despite senior attacker Lela McCarroll netting her first half trick of the season, Marist received its first loss with a final score of 14-9.
The team’s next trip brought them to Tempe, Arizona, to the ASU invitational. Marist ended the away trip 3-1 against all ranked opponents.
The Red Foxes took down No. 20 University of the Pacific 16-11, No. 10 Fresno State 13-10 and No. 19 San Diego State University 14-13, with the team’s only loss coming to the home team, No. 6 Arizona State.
A weekend highlighted by a five-goal game from De Beer against the University of Pacific, four goals and two assists from Bentley in an upset over Fresno State. An all-around team win against SDSU with Bentley and freshman Jolanta Szentpali both crushing hat tricks alongside McCarroll’s two goals and two assists, rounding out another successful road trip for Marist.
Edited by Ben Leeds
Photo by Marist Athletics
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