Irvine, CA – June 7 – On June 15,
prior to an exhibition match between the USA Water Polo Women's National Team
and Greece at Stanford University, three-time Olympic champion Melissa
Seidemann will be honored upon her retirement from international water polo.
The match is the finale of a three-game series between the two squads prior to
the start of play at the World Aquatics World Cup on June 23 in Long Beach,
California.
The match between USA and Greece at
Stanford is set for 6:30pm PT and will air LIVE on Bally Sports and streaming
on the Bally Sports app. The two teams will also meet on June 9 at Las Positas
College in Livermore, California, at 7pm PT, and on June 12 at Sacred Heart
Prep in Atherton, California, at 6pm PT. The first two matches will also stream
live at YouTube.com/USAWP.
Tickets for the contest at Stanford
are available here.
For Seidemann, a return to the Avery
Aquatic Center marks the culmination of a legendary career in which she won all
the sport's major honors, often multiple times. At Stanford, she was an NCAA
champion, recipient of the Peter J. Cutino Award as the best player in the
college game, and recognized as part of the Pac-12 All-Century team. That was
just the beginning. Internationally, Seidemann was a vital piece of the
greatest women's water polo program of all-time. She earned three Olympic gold
medals (2012, 2016, 2020), three World Championship titles (2015, 2017, 2019),
two World Cup championships (2014, 2018), three Pan American Games golds (2011,
2015, 2019) and a staggering 10 World League Super Final titles (2010-12,
2014-19, 2021).
"As I think of saying goodbye to
Team USA, particularly the Women's Senior National team, I feel the
impossibility of doing [it] for something that has been a part of my life for
more than 15 years. From my first youth
camp in 2006, this sport has watched me grow up! I think back to my 20-year-old self, getting
invited to train with the best in the world. No doubt I was intimidated, but I
immediately took the challenge, not just of competing to be the best, but also
working towards being the best version of myself. I am forever grateful for
everyone who walked alongside me on this adventure!" Seidemann said.
"To my teammates, who gave life
to this experience, made the hard days sting less and the dreams worth striving
for, thank you, I would not have survived without you!" she said. "To
my coaches, thank you for never giving up on me, and finding a way to – not
only coach – but empower my strong-willed free spirit. To the trainers, doctors
and other support staff, you are a part of the team; thank you for giving your
time to our journey! Most importantly, thanks to my family for every sacrifice
and every bit of unconditional love.
"This bittersweet goodbye leaves
me feeling excited for the opportunity to put my experiences as an athlete into
practice elsewhere. I'm even more excited to cheer on the current national team
athletes as they continue to dream. I am proud to be a part of the USA Water
Polo Senior National Team legacy and incredibly thankful for all that the
experience gave me," concluded Seidemann.
"For more than a decade, Melissa
played the toughest positions in the pool on the best team in the world. Her
combination of exquisite skill and unmatched strength at both the defender and
center position will be impossible to replace. Her versatility in the middle of
the pool not only impacted those areas but also freed others up to maximize
their strengths and helped put our team in the best position to have success.
She's forever loyal to her teammates and this program, as we are to her, and we
thank her for all she gave to help make our program what it is today,"
said Adam Krikorian, Women's Senior National Team Head Coach.
Team rosters for the series will be
available closer to the start of competition. Live stats will be available for
all matches via 6-8 Sports at 68scores.com. Check your local listings for the
match on June 15. For select areas outside of Bally Sports coverage, including
the San Francisco Bay Area, fans can watch live at YouTube.com/USAWP.
About USA Water Polo
USA Water Polo, Inc., is the national
governing body for water polo in America, overseeing our United States Olympic
program as well as 20 championship events annually, such as Junior Olympics and
Masters National Championships. With more than 50,000 members, USAWP also is
the sanctioning authority for more than 500 Member Clubs and more than 400
tournaments nationwide. USAWP is committed to the development of the sport
throughout the U.S. It fosters grass-roots expansion of the sport, providing a
national system of affiliated clubs, certified coaches, and officials.
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