LEBANON, Ill. - The Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) has announced their weekly winners for January 29th, 2025, with senior goalkeeper Sydney Kane (Kankanee, Ill.) obtaining the WWPA Defensive Player of the Week.
This is Kane's third such honor received by the conference, as she won it twice last year on February 14th and on April 11th. Those pair of recognitions earned her WWPA Second Team All-Conference at the end of the season of 2024.
Her Interim Head Coach Alex Figueras said the following on Kane and her impact thus far into the early season:
"She should be proud of the work that she's put in all year, and I think her play in the water speaks for itself. I am really excited to see how she continues to develop as a player and a leader throughout this season."
In a split 2-2 weekend where she was instrumental, the Kankakee, Illinois native was a defensive anchor for this McKendree team. Kane totaled 34 saves (8.5 per game) on 33 goals allowed while leading the team thus far with seven steals (1.75 per game) plus an assist while posting a total averaged 50.7 save percentage.
Kane was first in this weekend's Hoosier Classic in steals (7), total saves (34), and saves per game (8.5), while being second in steals per game (1.8). She was fourth in save percentage (50.7%) and goals against average (9.42).
In game one against UC Merced, she had 13 saves in 28:33 minutes on 76.5% shooting, plus two steals and an assist. In game two against No.18 UC Santa Barbara, she had seven saves in 24:00 minutes, plus a season-high three steals. In game three against No.11 Indiana University, she played in all 32 minutes and recorded four saves and two steals as the 10-point loss was the program's fewest margin to the Hoosiers since 2019. In game four against Carthage College, she had 10 saves in 27:32 minutes on 71.4% shooting.
The senior is first in the conference in save percentage (50.7%) and goals against average (9.42), as she is second in saves per game (8.5), total saves (34), and third in total steals (7) and steals per game (1.8)
Kane is fourth in the entire nation in saves per game (8.5), while being fifth in save percentage (50.7%), goals against average (9.42), and steals per game (1.8).
UP NEXT
Mckendree will be back in action next weekend when they hit the road to the VMI Invite, which will be hosted by the Virginia Military Institute. They will face the University of Toronto at 9:40 AM CT and VMI at 3:40 PM CT on Saturday, February 1st. Then, they will take on Austin College at 7:00 AM CT and Bucknell University at 12:20 PM CT in day two on Sunday, February 2nd. All games will be played at the VMI Aquatic Center in Lexington, Virginia.
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