UC Irvine junior Danielle Warde (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison HS) garnered Big West Women’s Water Polo Player of the Week honors as she helped her squad to its best finish at the UCI Invitational.

The utility player carried the Anteaters to a sixth place tournament showing, and she scored in all four matches to help UCI finish 2-2.

Warde notched four goals against No. 7 Arizona State in a 9-8 sudden death overtime loss on Sunday in the fifth place game.  She recorded her second hat trick of the tournament a game earlier, posting three goals in a 7-6 overtime triumph over No. 10 Cal State Northridge.

On day one of the invite, Warde had a goal against No. 14 UC Davis and two more scores versus No. 4 Cal as the Anteaters split.

The 10 goals led all UCI players for the weekend.  In addition, Warde contributed defensively with eight steals.  With five assists, Warde accounted for more than half (15 of 29) of UCI’s goals for the tournament.

Others nominated: Marisa Young (Cal State Northridge); Jessie Porter (UC Santa Barbara); Danielle Lewis (Hawai‘i)