USC well represented on 2012 All-American teams


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After leading the USC squad to the national championship game this spring, six members of USC’s women’s water polo team have been named All-Americans by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches.

Freshman driver Monica Vavic, the only USC (23-6) player to earn first-team honors, became the first true freshman to be named a first-team All-American and first-team All-MPSF player since 1999.

Gatekeeper · Sophomore goalie Flora Bolonyai was named a second team All-American for efforts during the 2012 season. The Women of Troy were defeated by Stanford in the national championship game. - Photo courtesy of Dan Avila

Sophomore goalkeeper Flora Bolonyai and senior Nadia Dan were named All-Americans for the second time, as Bolonyai was selected to the second team and Dan earned honorable mention.

Sophomore two-meter Kaleigh Gilchrist (second team), sophomore two-meter Colleen O’Donnell (honorable mention) and junior driver Dominique Sardo (honorable mention) rounded out USC’s sextet on the All-American honor roll by earning their first career national honors.

Vavic led the Women of Troy in assists this season and was the squad’s second leading scorer with 39 goals. She was named to the NCAA All-Tournament first team, scoring five goals in USC’s run to the finals.

Bolonyai, who will participate in this summer’s Olympic Games in London as part of the Hungarian national team, averaged 8.6 saves and 5.2 goals-against per game for the Women of Troy this season. She boosted her numbers in the postseason, averaging 10.1 saves and allowing 4.5 goals per game during the MPSF and NCAA tournaments, earning second-team status for both tournaments.

Gilchrist joined Bolonyai on the second team after leading the Women of Troy in 2012 with 47 goals. She also earned All-MPSF Second Team honors.

Dan, a senior who becomes a two-time All-American in her final season at Troy, was fourth on the team in scoring with 25 goals, putting her career scoring mark at 107 career goals to go along with her championship from the 2010 season.

Sardo, who was also on that 2010 championship team, picked up her first All-American honors this season after netting 23 goals for USC and being selected to the All-MPSF Honorable Mention squad.

O’Donnell also earned honorable mention after racking up 24 goals for the Women of Troy in her second year at USC.

Stanford was the only school to have more players named All-Americans than USC, with eight members of Stanford’s NCAA championship squad receiving national recognition.

All in all, 57 players from around the country earned All-American honors. Seven players each were named to the first, second and third teams while 36 players earned honorable mention.