Women's Water Polo Goes for First National Title
June 21, 1999 | Women's Water Polo
May 3, 1999
THIS WEEK - The No. 1 USC women's water polo team (26-2 overall) has been awarded the top seed at the 1999 Collegiate National Championships and will try to win its first title this weekend. The tournament, hosted by UC Davis, runs Friday through Sunday (May 7-9). Last season, the Women of Troy placed fifth in the nation. USC is looking for its second water polo championship of this school year: the men's team captured its first NCAA championship in the fall.
SCHEDULE - The Women of Troy meet 16th-seed Indiana (21-14) in the first round on Friday at 8 a.m. at Solano College in Suisun. It's the second straight year USC has faced Indiana in the first round. With a victory, USC will move on to play the winner of the #8 UC Santa Barbara - #9 San Jose State game at 3 p.m. on Friday. Should USC advance, the semifinals are on Saturday at 5:15 p.m. and the championship game is Sunday at 3:30 p.m., both at UC Davis' Hickey Pool.
NOTES & STATS - Other than a one-week period where USC was tied atop the polls with California, the Women of Troy have been the top-ranked team in the nation since Feb. 17 ... Six of the top seven goal-scorers in 1999 are newcomers ... One of the big reasons for USC's success in 1999 has been the team's ability to get out to a fast start. The Women of Troy have outscored their opponents in the first quarter by an astonishing 81 to 15 ... Twenty-six of USC's 28 games were against teams particpating in the National Championships.
SCHOOL RECORDS - The offense is averaging 8.6 goals a game, while the defense is giving up 4.2 goals per game. Both marks are currently the best in USC history (the previous bests are 7.9 in 1995 and 4.4 in 1998, respectively) ... USC's school-record 18-game winning streak ended in the MPSF Tournament final. Prior to this season, the longest USC winning streak was seven games (both in 1998 and 1995) ... The Women of Troy set another school record by scoring double-digit goals in seven straight games.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS - This is USC's third appearance at the Collegiate National Championships. USC placed fifth in 1998 and seventh in 1997. USC has an overall record of 5-3 at the nationals.
MPSFs - USC was the regular-season MPSF champion with an 8-1 mark. The Women of Troy had the same record as Stanford, but beat the Cardinal head-to-head. Then, at the MPSF Tournament (April 9-11), USC won its first four games to reach the championship, but lost a defensive struggle to California, 3-2.
SO-CAL REGIONAL - USC won its only two matches at the Southern California Regional to advance to the National Championships. The Women of Troy defeated San Diego State, 7-4, and then posted their biggest win ever over crosstown rival UCLA, 11-1.
HONORS & AWARDS - Jovan Vavic was named the MPSF Coach of the Year and senior goalie Bernice Orwig was the MPSF's Co-Player of the Year (with Colette Glinkowski of California). Orwig was joined on the All-MPSF first team by sophomore 2M Jennifer Durley and freshman UT Aniko Pelle. Freshman UT Sandra Milicev and freshman 2M Nina Wengst made the honorable mention squad ... Pelle was the MVP of the MPSF Tournament. Durley and Orwig made the All-Tournament first team ... Pelle was the only two-time MPSF Player of the Week. Durley earned the honor once.
JOVAN VAVIC - The only women's water polo coach USC has had in its five years of existence, Jovan Vavic has steadily improved the program to the point where it is now competing for a national championship. He could lead USC to a rare championship double in this school year - in the fall, he was the co-head coach of USC's men's team when it won its first NCAA title. In five years, he has a record of 91-69 (.569) with the women's team. He was named the 1999 MPSF Coach of the Year.
BERNICE ORWIG - Quite possibly the best player in the country, senior goalie Bernice Orwig deserves much of the credit for USC's rise to the No. 1 ranking. A two-time All-American second teamer and a member of the U.S. National Team, Orwig has 212 saves in 26 games in 1999. She was named the 1999 MPSF Co-Player of the Year and an All-MPSF Tournament first teamer. The anchor of USC's defense is averaging 8.1 saves a contest and is allowing just 3.5 goals a game. She has reached double-digit saves eight times and she had a career-best 19 saves against UCLA (April 10) at the MPSF Tournament.
ANIKO PELLE - Freshman UT Aniko Pelle of Hungary is USC's leading scorer in 1999 with 47 goals. She was the MPSF Tournament MVP and an All-MPSF first team selection. She is a two-time MPSF Player of the Week (the only MPSF player to receive the honor twice). She had a season-best eight-game scoring streak, has scored four goals in a game three times (vs. San Diego State, Long Beach State and Pacific) and has 15 multiple-goal games. Pelle is a member of Hungary's national team.
JENNIFER DURLEY - For the second straight year, sophomore 2M Jennifer Durley has been one of USC's top scorers. She has 29 goals (tied for third on the team). Durley made the All-MPSF first team and the All-MPSF Tournament first team. She was also named MVP of the Hawai'i Rainbow Challenge and was named MPSF Player of the Week for her efforts. She scored a career-high four goals against the Rainbows. Durley has eight multiple-goal games in 1999. Last year, she had 42 goals (second on the team) and was an All-American honorable mention pick.
NINA WENGST - Freshman 2M Nina Wengst of Germany is second on the team with 36 goals. She had a 14-game scoring streak (best by a USC player in 1999). Wengst has 11 multiple-goal games and scored a season-high three goals four times (vs. UCLA twice and Hawai'i twice). She made the All-MPSF honorable mention team. Wengst is a member of the German National Team.
SANDRA MILICEV - Freshman UT Sandra Milicev of Yugoslavia (and a member of her country's national team) is tied for third on the team with 29 goals. She has 10 multiple-goal games, with a season high of three goals against Hawai'i. Milicev once had an eight-game scoring streak. She made the All-MPSF honorable mention team.
KELLIE CLARKE - Senior DR Kellie Clarke hasn't been asked to score goals like she has in the past, and so her defense and leadership have made a difference in 1999. She has eight goals this season (after scoring 59 in her first two seasons), but as a starter, has found other ways to contribute.
MORE NEWCOMERS - The state's top junior college player a year ago, junior UT Lisa Saenz has been an excellent addition in 1999. She has scored 23 goals this season. Last year, she led Golden West College in Huntington Beach, Calif., to the state JC title ... Another member of USC's exciting freshman class, 2M Suzannah Johnson has contributed with 22 goals this season. She scored four goals in one game against San Diego State. She prepped at Lynbrook High in San Jose, Calif. ... Freshmen drivers Christine Zador (Modesto, Calif.) and Shelli Linza (Los Alamitos, Calif.) have also been contributors, with 13 and 12 goals, respectively.
SELAH MAPES - One of USC's best scorers over the last few years, junior 2M Selah Mapes has added 12 goals in 1999. Seven of her goals have come in the last nine games.
