Sixteen From The Big West Earn ACWPC All-America Honors

The Big West highlighted the 2024 Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) All-America Team with 16 women's water polo student-athletes from the league honored. The Big West had the second-most honorees amongst all conferences, trailing the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). It is tied for the second-most All-Americans the conference has produced in a single season. The record is 20 set last year.
 
Hawai’i sophomore center Bia Mantellato Dias was placed on the All-America First Team. The two-time Big West Player of the Year compiled 64 goals and drew 60 exclusions, both team-highs. Mantellato Dias was an All-America Second Team honoree as a freshman last season. 
 
Long Beach State senior utility Lara Luka and Hawai'i junior attacker Bernadette Doyle were given All-America Second Team honors. Luka recorded 88 goals and 54 assists for a conference-best 142 points, and is now a two-time All-American after being on the Honorable Mention list as a Rainbow Wahine in 2022. Doyle, the 2024 Big West Championship Tournament MVP, led The Big West in steals (49) to go with 46 goals and 41 assists for 87 points. 
 
UC Irvine junior utility Libby Alexander, UC San Diego junior center Kendall Thomas, Hawai'i freshman goalie Daisy Logtens and Hawai'i senior attacker Alba Bonamusa Boix were named to the All-America Third Team. Alexander led the Anteaters in goals (43) and points (59). Thomas recorded 50 goals and drew 45 exclusions, both team-highs, for UC San Diego. Thomas is now a three-time All-American after earning Honorable Mention in 2022 and 2023. Logtens has the best save percentage (.599) and goals-against average (7.43) in The Big West, while amassing 211 saves on the season. Bonamusa Boix had a team co-high 42 assists and team-best 93 points for the Rainbow Wahine. Bonamusa Boix was on the Honorable Mention list last season. 
 
The Beach had two Honorable Mentions in senior center Mariah Walker and junior attacker Martina Cardona. It is the second consecutive time that Cardona has made the Honorable Mention list. 

UC Davis senior utility Grace Pelkey earned Honorable Mention recognition.
 
UC San Diego had an Honorable Mentions in redshirt junior attacker Caroline Christl for the second straight year. 
 
CSUN had three All-Americans as junior center Dorottya Telek, junior defender Anna Pal and senior attacker Helena Sandhagen made it on the Honorable Mention List. It is the third straight All-America honor for Telek and Pal.
 
Cal State Fullerton, playing in its second go-around since sponsoring the sport prior to the 2023 season, has produced an All-American Honorable Mention in senior center Shyanne Rainey

2024 ACWPC All-Americans From The Big West
All-America Second Team
Name School Year Position
Bia Mantellato Dias Hawai'i So. Center
All-America Second Team
Name School Year Position
Bernadette Doyle UC Irvine Jr. Attacker
Lara Luka Long Beach State Sr. Utility
All-America Third Team
Name School Year Position
Libby Alexander UC Irvine Jr. Utility
Alba Bonamusa Boix Hawai'i Sr. Center
Daisy Logtens Hawai'i Fr. Goalkeeper
Kendall Thomas UC San Diego Jr. Center
All-America Honorable Mention
Name School Year Position
Martina Cardona Long Beach State Jr. Attacker
Caroline Christl UC San Diego R-Jr. Attacker
Lucia Gomez de la Puente Hawai'i Sr. Attacker
Anna Pal CSUN Jr. Defender
Grace Pelkey UC Davis Sr. Utility
Shyanne Rainey Cal State Fullerton Sr. Center
Helena Sandhagen CSUN Sr. Atttacker
Dorottya Telek CSUN Jr. Center
Mariah Walker Long Beach State Sr. Center

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