CLAREMONT, Calif. -- The Augustana Vikings women's water polo team will compete in its third straight USA Water Polo DIII National Tournament on Saturday, May 4 when they take on the No. 2 ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scrips Athenas.

Augie earned an automatic bid to the tournament following its first-place finish at the CWPA Championships two weeks ago, the second straight season claiming the title. The Vikings went 3-0 on the weekend, defeating Grove City in round one before earning a comeback victory over Washington & Jefferson in the semifinals. The win over the Presidents clinched their spot in the upcoming national tournment. Augustana then defeated Austin in the CWPA Championship for the second year in a row by a score of 14-10. Casey Barragan led all players with five goals in the win and was voted the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Charlotte Newport added five assists, while Lizzie Pelzman earned the win in net with 11 saves, including a penalty shot early in the fourth. Newport and Ocean Akau were both named to the CWPA All-Tournament First Team, while Susan Palmentera-Reid was awarded Second Team All-Tournament. Head Coach Ryan Pryor was the recipient of the Coach of the Tournament award.

The Vikings currently sit with a 19-3 record this season and are riding a 12-game winning streak.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps enters the tournament as the No. 2 ranked team in the nation. The Athenas recently claimed second place in the SCIAC Tournament, falling to No. 1 Pomona-Pitzer by a score of 11-10. CMS boasted a 10-2 record in conference this season, with the two losses coming against the Sagehens of Pomona-Pitzer. Seven of the team's 10 losses this year have against non-Division III foes. 

Saturday will be the third meeting all-time between Augie and CMS and the second straight season they are meeting in the national semifinal. The Athenas bested the Vikings last season in Rock Island by a score of 20-9. 

Start time on Saturday is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT. Tickets, live stream link, and other info can be found here.