No. 10 Anteaters Win Big West Championship - The Official Athletic Site of UC Irvine

Women's Water Polo:

No. 10 Anteaters Win Big West Championship

'Eaters with school record 23 wins

	UCI celebrates their Big West Tournament title

April 27, 2009

NO. 10 ANTEATERS WIN BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIP: The No. 10 UC Irvine women's water polo team (23-9, 4-1) won the inaugural Big West Conference Tournament Sunday defeating No. 17 UC Santa Barbara 13-9 in the championship match. Senior Gianna Rossi (Fresno/Central HS) was named the Big West Tournament Most Valuable Player after scoring six goals including two game-winning goals in the tournament.

The 23 wins this season is the most in school history. The Anteaters don’t receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament this season following their Big West Tournament championship. The Big West will get have an automatic bid starting in the 2011 season.

WEEK IN REVIEW: The Anteaters went 3-0 to win the Big West Conference Tournament. UCI opened with a 5-3 win over No. 18 Long Beach State in the quarterfinals and then beat No. 9 UC Davis 10-8 in the semifinals before beating UCSB in the championship match. Rossi’s six goals led the team with sophomore Cortney Collyer (Santa Barbara HS) in second with five goals.

UCI RANKED 10TH IN NATION: The Anteaters are ranked 10^th in the country in the National Collegiate Water Polo poll. The ‘Eaters have been ranked as high as 8^th in the 2009 season. UCI ended 2008 ranked 12th nationally. The team was ranked as high as No. 7 last season.

ANTEATERS IN THE RECORD BOOK

: Senior Gianna Rossi is third all-time at UCI with 192 goals. Senior Julia Fancher (La Verne/Bonita HS) is fifth all-time with 143 goals. Junior Kat Plummer (Thousand Oaks HS) is seventh with 97 goals. Senior Sarah Frost (Santa Barbara HS) is 10^th all-time with 63 goals. Keeper Lauren Davis (Downey HS) is fourth all-time with 116 saves and Morgan Vickers is fifth with 110.

Gianna Rossi’s 67 goals this season is the highest single season total in UCI history. Julia Fancher’s 49 goals was the 10^th most.

Lauren Davis’ 111 saves is the ninth most in a single season at UCI. Morgan Vickers 110 saves is the 10^th most.

Kat Plummer had a streak of scoring in 17 straight matches earlier this season to tie the longest such streak in Anteater history. Gianna Rossi had a streak of scoring in 15 straight matches, tied for the fourth longest streak in school history.

ANTEATER LEADERS: Gianna Rossi led the team with 67 goals. Julia Fancher was second with 49 goals on the year. Kat Plummer was third on the team with 48 goals. Cortney Collyer was fourth with 32 goals. Sophomore keeper Lauren Davis (Downey HS) has 111 saves to lead the team and Morgan Vickers has 110 saves.

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