The Big West Reveals 2023 Women's Water Polo All-Conference Team (2024)

IRVINE, Calif. --The All-Big West women's water polo teams and major award winners have been announced, five days after the conclusion of The Big West Women's Water Polo Championship.

Hawai'i freshman Bia Mantellato Dias is The Big West Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. The center from Sao Paulo, Brazil compiled 82 goals, 10 assists, 17 steals and 37 drawn exclusions this season. In conference play, the Rainbow Wahine rookie totaled 23 goals, two assists, six steals and seven drawn exclusions. Hawai'i finished its season with a 21-6 overall record, going 6-1 in conference play to finish second in The Big West. Mantellato Dias is the fifth Rainbow Wahine to win the conference's top player honor and first since Irene Gonzalez in 2019. It is also the fifth time that a Hawai'i player has won the Freshman of the Year accolade.

For the second straight season and 10th time overall, The Big West Coach of the Year honor will go to UC Irvine's Dan Klatt. The 19th-year head coach has guided the Anteaters to a 20-6 overall record, going a perfect 7-0 in conference play to win the regular season title.UC Irvine won The Big West Women's Water Polo Championship as the top seed, defeating No. 4 seed UC San Diego 12-6 in the semifinals and No. 2 seed Hawai'i 10-9 in overtime in the finals. The Anteaters are ranked No. 4 in the latest CWPA rankings and will represent The Big West in the upcoming NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship with a matchup against UCLA at Pacific's Chris Kjeldson Pool on Friday, May 12 at 2 p.m. PT.

Joining Mantellato Dias on the first team are Hawai'i senior attacker Alba Bonamusa Boix, UC San Diego redshirt sophom*ore attacker Caroline Christl, UC Irvine redshirt sophom*ore attacker Elena Flynn, Long Beach State freshman attacker Elisa Portillo, UC Irvine senior goalkeeper Erin Tharp, UC Irvine sophom*ore center Nioka Thomas and UC Davis senior center Noelle Wijnbelt.

Thomas and Flynn scored 52 and 51 goals, respectively, and Tharp compiled 103 saves for a 7.91 goals-against average to propel UC Irvine to The Big West regular season and Championship crowns. Bonamusa Boix logged 57 goals and 27 assists for the second-place Rainbow Wahine. Portillo amassed 55 goals, 19 assists and 20 steals for Long Beach State that finished third. Christl put away 60 goals on the season with 16 drawn ejections for the Tritons that went 4-3 in conference play for fourth. Wijnbelt tallied 55 goals, 13 steals and 26 drawn exclusions for the Aggies.

The second team consists of Long Beach state junior attacker Rachel Kowalchick, Hawai'i junior goalkeeper Bridget Layburn, UC Irvine graduate attacker Jessica Lynch, UC Santa Barbara redshirt senior utility Caitlyn Snyder, CSUN sophom*ore center Dorottya Telek, UC San Diego sophom*ore center Kendall Thomas and Hawai'i senior Emma van Rossum.

Long Beach State sophom*ore attacker Martina Cardona, UC Davis graduate defender Allyson Clague, UC Davis senior goalkeeper Sophia Noble, UC San Diego sophom*ore attacker Courtney Okumura, Cal State Fullerton freshman utility Mia Solorzano, Hawai'i junior utility Lot Stertefeld and UC Santa Barbara freshman goalkeeper Madison Walker were honorable mentions.

The All-Freshman Team consists of Mantellato Dias, Portillo, Solorzano, Walker, UC San Diego attacker Sofia Munatones, UC San Diego attacker Sydney Munatones and UC Davis attacker Gianna Nocetti.