It was announced earlier today by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) that the University of Redlands women's water polo team collected individual and team accolades for academic achievement.
Nine Bulldogs landed among this year's selections, which included more than 400 honorees from the NAIA and NCAA.
The ACWPC has three levels of academic honors: "Outstanding" recognizes students with a GPA of 3.71 and above, "Superior" acknowledges those between 3.41 and 3.7, and "Excellent" awards those between 3.2 and 3.4.
Headlining the team's accolades, senior goalkeeper Tiana Singley (Benicia, CA) and sophomore driver Georgia Tunioli (Riverside, CT) each earned "Outstanding" honors while garnering their second straight such award. Singley owned a perfect mark of 4.00 while completing her degree in Communicative Disorders. She provided 59 saves and 12 steals as the team's back-up ball-stopper. An Environmental Science major, Tunioli contributed seven goals, six assists and 10 steals while boasting a cumulative GPA of 3.731.
Senior driver Chandler Weeks (Palm Desert, CA) notched her third consecutive "Superior" plaudit, posting a GPA of 3.642 as a Biology major. She dished out 32 assists and scored 19 goals during the Bulldogs' conference co-championship run.
Along with Weeks, junior centers Jaime Nippert (Gresham, OR) and Joy Corona (Lake Bluff, IL) also tallied "Superior" marks. Nippert completed her junior campaign with a cumulative GPA of 3.585 while studying Liberal Studies and Communicative Disorders. In the pool, she led the Bulldogs in nearly every statistical category with 93 goals, 36 assists, and 27 field blocks. Corona offered a 3.534 cumulative GPA as an English Literature major. She served a versatile role for the Bulldogs but highlighted her success with a record-breaking 99 ejections drawn in the season.
In addition, senior driver Tory Haynes (Valley Center, CA) and sophomore drivers Stephanie Taylor (Sacramento, CA), Moana Tuipulotu (Lahaina, HI) and Lindsey Zehner (Portland, OR) registered "Excellent" status. With a 3.223 GPA as a Liberal Studies major, Haynes provided six goals, seven assists and 10 steals for the Maroon and Gray. Tuipulotu added 56 goals to rank second on the team and also supplied 26 assists and 39 steals. She tallied a mark of 3.282 while pursuing her degree in Environmental Studies. With a 3.208 GPA as a Communicative Disorders major, Zehner contributed seven goals, 11 assists and 15 steals.
Overall, the squad put together a solid 3.143 GPA, placing them among the elite programs around the country at No. 20.
To view a complete list of the ACWPC All-Academic list please visit: http://www.collegewaterpolocoach.org/womens-all-academic-awards.html