Water Polo Wrapup: All-Star Teams

As eight teams prepare to do battle at the National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championships May 10-12 at Harvard University's Blodgett Pool in Boston, Massachusetts, Swimming World thought it would be a good time to look back at the championship season and highlight some of the tournament all-star teams that have been chosen so far.

Six of the eight teams–UCLA, Iona, Pomona-Pitzer, Princeton, USC and Stanford–are repeat performers from last year's championship. Stanford returns as the double defending champion, and is determined to prove their No. 2 seeding wrong. UC San Diego last competed in 2011 and Hawai'i-making its first-ever appearance as a member of the Big West Conference in their initial season of play–hasn't been to the top eight since 2009.

Big West Conference
Next season, Hawai'i will lose the services of senior attacker Monica Eggens, who was named the Big West Tournament MVP. She leaves having scored 84 goals during the regular season and has 43 assists and 50 steals.

Her five goals in the championship match led the Rainbow Wahine to its first-ever Big West title over four-time defending champion UC Irvine. UC Irvine had been the only school to hold the championship title since the sport was started in the Big West Conference in 2009.

Final standings in the Big West Conference:
Hawaii 7-1 (21-9 overall)
UC Irvine 6-2 (21-9)
Cal State Long Beach 5-3 (25-7)
San Diego State 5-3 (22-11)
Cal State Northridge 4-4 (23-12)
UC Santa Barbara 2-6 (20-15)
UC Davis 2-6 (14-17)
Pacific 1-7 (16-16)

Collegiate Water Polo Association
The Princeton Tigers earned their second straight trip to the national championships with their 7-5 victory over the Michigan Wolverine squad. Two Princeton athletes received individual recognition: junior Katie Rigler was named tournament MVP; and Ashleigh Johnson, the team's goalie, was recognized as the Rookie of the Tournament. Matt Anderson, Michigan's coach, was given the Doc Hunkler Coach of the Tournament award.

First Team All-Tournament Team
Ashleigh Johnson (goalie), Princeton
Katie Rigler, Princeton
Kiki Golden, Michigan
Sami Capparelli, Hartwick
Jemma Dendy Young, Hartwick
Shae Fournier, Indiana
Jakie Kohli, Indiana

Second Team All-Tournament Team
Alex Adamson (goalie), Michigan
Lauren Colton, Michigan
Kelsey Nolan, Michigan
Camille Hooks, Princeton
Madison Pepper, Brown
Kate Woods, Brown
Aisha Price, Harvard

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Final results from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
No. 2 Iona 12, No. 1 Wagner 10 (championship)
No. 3 Marist 12, No. 4 Villanova 9

All-Tournament Team
Hannah Ishida, Villanova
Shelby Rinker, Marist
Laura Karbach, Wagner
Jessica Burdge, Wagner
Amy Olsen, Iona
Alyssa Turza, Iona

Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
Final Team Standings (overall standings in parentheses)
Stanford 6-0 (27-2)
USC 5-1 (24-1)
Arizona State 4-2 (26-7)
UCLA 3-3 (26-6)
California 2-4 (17-7)
San Jose State 1-5 (12-12)
Cal State Bakersfield 0-6 (12-24)

All-Tournament Team
Hannah Buckling, USC (MVP)
Monica Vavic, USC
Anni Espar, USC
Maggie Steffens, Stanford
Melissa Seidemann, Stanford
Rachel Fattal, UCLA
Ao Gao, ASU
Flora Bolonyai, USC

Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Final results from the SCIAC Tournament:
Pomona-Pitzer 10, Redlands 7 (championship)
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 9, Occidental 8 (2OT) (third place)
Cal Lutheran 17, Chapman 9 (fifth place)
Whittier 8, LaVerne 7 (seventh place)

Conference Standings (overall standings in parentheses)
Pomona-Pitzer 9-2 (18-16)
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 9-2 (15-15)
Whittier 7-4 (17-19)
Cal Lutheran 7-4 (13-15)
Redlands 7-4 (14-18)
Occidental 5-6 (11-21)
Chapman 4-8 (14-15)
LaVerne 2-10 (12-24)
Cal Tech 0-10 (0-21)

Western Water Polo Association
Player of the Year: Sarah Lizotte, UC San Diego
Newcomer of the Year: Ariel Arcidiacono, Colorado State

First Team WWPA All-Conference
Melissa Bartow, UC San Diego
Alexandra Honny, Loyola Marymount
Sarah Lizotte, UC San Diego
Sara Hudyn, CSU East Bay
Courtney Miller, UC San Diego
Julia Peters, Santa Clara
Shelby Schaefer, Colorado State

Second Team WWPA All-Conference
Mackenzie Beck, Loyola Marymount
Jessica Morelos, Loyola Marymount
Claire Pierce, CSU East Bay
Colette Reid, Sonoma State
Misty Vu, CSU San Bernardino
Jackie Walters, CSU Monterey Bay
Claire Wright, Loyola Marymount

Honorable Mention WWPA All-Conference
Kelcy Barott, Colorado State
Stephanie Clements, Santa Clara
Claire Eadington, Santa Clara
Danielle Johnson, Loyola Marymount
Alison Norris, Santa Clara
Lindsey Rangel, Sonoma State
Alexis Wieseler, UC San Diego

WWPA All-Freshman Team
Ariel Arcidiacono, Colorado State
Elizabeth Anderson, Santa Clara
Ivana Castro, Loyola Marymount
Noelle Herrera, Sonoma State
Jenn Lightbody, CSU East Bay
Danielle Johnson, Loyola Marymount
Courtney Miller, UC San Diego
Alexis Wieseler, UC San Diego

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use