HONOLULU — The University of Hawai'i women's water polo team placed second in the Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll with sophomore center Bia Mantellato Dias voted to the All-Big West Preseason Coaches Team released on Monday.
 
The Rainbow Wahine received one first-place vote in the poll of the Big West's eight coaches and tallied 42 points to place second behind UC Irvine (47 points, five first-place votes). Long Beach State came in third with 40 points and two first-place votes.
 
Mantellato Dias was among the seven players named to the Preseason Coaches Team after earning Big West Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors last season. She led the Rainbow Wahine with 82 goals in 151 attempts with 15 hat tricks in 27 matches and made the AWPCA All-America second team.
 
The Rainbow Wahine went 21-6 overall and 6-1 in Big West play last season to finish second in the regular-season standings behind UC Irvine (20-7, 7-0). The Anteaters edged the 'Bows 10-9 in overtime in the final of the Big West Championship.
 
UH and UC Irvine tied for fifth in the Collegiate Water Polo Association preseason poll. The Rainbow Wahine open head coach Maureen Cole's 13^th and final season on Saturday at the Polo-Palooza hosted by Fresno State. UH will face Michigan at 7:30 a.m. Hawai'i time then take on defending national champion Stanford at 4 p.m. HT.
 
UH makes its home debut in the Rainbow Invitational set for Jan. 26 and 27 at Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex. The 'Bows will face Princeton, Azusa Pacific and Fresno State in the tournament.

Big West Women's Water Polo Preseason Coaches' Poll

Rank	School (first-place votes)	Points
1.	UC Irvine  (5)	47
2.	Hawai'i (1)	42
3.	Long Beach State (2)	40
4.	UC San Diego	31
5.	UC Davis	23
6.	UC Santa Barbara	20
7.	CSUN	13
8.	Cal State Fullerton	8

All-Big West Women's Water Polo Preseason Coaches' Team

Player	Class	Pos.	School
Rachael Kowalchick	Sr.	Center	Long Beach State
Bia Mantellato Dias	So.	Center	Hawai'i
Elisa Portillo	So.	Attacker	Long Beach State
Faith Tedesco	Sr.	Goalkeeper	UC Irvine
Dorottya Telek	Sr.	Center	CSUN
Kendall Thomas	Jr.	Center	UC San Diego
Nioka Thomas	Jr.	Center	UC Irvine