IRVINE, Calif. — With the women's water polo season just one week away, the Big West Conference has announced their preseason poll and team for the 2026 season. Bridget Miller from UC Davis women's water polo was selected as one of seven players on the conferences preseason coaches team. The Aggies were also selected to finish tied for fourth in the conference, receiving 28 points.
 
An All-Big West Second Team honoree a year ago, Miller enters her third season in the blue and gold after scoring 47 goals and eight assists for 55 points, leading the Aggies in total goals scored. As a sophomore, she scored eight hat tricks, including going for a career-high four goals three separate times.
 
The full 2026 Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll and Team can be found below:

2026 Big West Women's Water Polo Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rank    Institution                  Points
1.         Hawai'i                        45 (5)
2.         Long Beach State     44 (2)
3.         UC Irvine                   39 (1)
T-4.      UC Davis                  28
T-4.      UC San Diego           28
6.         UC Santa Barbara     18
7.         CSUN                         12
8.         Cal State Fullerton    10
First-place votes in parenthesis
 
2026 Big West Women's Water Polo Preseason Coaches' Team
Student-Athlete Year    Position            Institution                     Hometown
Rita Gurri         So.       Defender          Long Beach State        Barcelona, Spain
Lauren Hett      Jr.        Attacker            UC Irvine                     Orinda, Calif.
Daisy Logtens  Jr.        Goalkeeper      Hawai'i                         Uden, Netherlands
Bridget Miller  Jr.        Center              UC Davis                     Ladera Ranch, Calif.
Elisa Portillo     Sr.        Attacker           Long Beach State        Madrid, Spain
Ema Vernoux   So.       Attacker           Hawai'i                          Marseille, France
Agatha Weston R-So.  Utility                Hawai'i                         Christchurch, New Zealand

ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS: 
UC Davis, the No. 2 ranked public university by the Wall Street Journal, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked #1 in Agriculture and Forestry as well as #1 in Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27. 

For more information, visit https://ucdavisaggies.com/.