IRVINE, Calif. – The Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) announced on Thursday, May 29th, their yearly All-American and major award winners for the NCAA Division II level, with six members of the women's water polo team being honored.
McKendree was voted on by fellow Division II coaches to win the ACWPC's major honors, which included Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Assistant Coach of the Year. Also, a ballot of eight spots determined the First Team selections, to which the Bearcats placed three on it.
There have been six total selections in the program's history, dating back to their first varsity season in 2018. There has been one First Team selection, three Second Team selections, and two honorable mentions, but never have the Bearcats received a major honor from the association.
Senior goalkeeper Sydney Kane (Kankakee, Ill.) was tabbed as both the ACWPC Player of the Year as well as being named First Team All-American. Kane was better known as one of the nation's best cage guardians all year round, finishing off with 340 saves and 34 steals on a 59.0% save percentage and an 8.69 goals-against average. She had 20 outings in saving the ball 10-plus times and helped a bit on the offensive end by dishing out five assists on the year.
With a long list of accolades and honors throughout her four-year career at McKendree, a good deal of them came within her senior stint this season. She garnered three Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Defensive Player of the Week honors and was chosen for multiple major distinctions, including this year's WWPA Player of the Year, WWPA First Team All-Conference, and being the Most Outstanding Player during the WWPA Championship Tournament.
Head Coach Alex Figueras was chosen for the ACWPC Coach of the Year after compiling a historic 21-8 season, including a 3-1 mark in conference play. Figueras gave the program its many firsts, which consisted of snagging the WWPA Title and appearing in the NCAA National Collegiate Water Polo Championships. Before nationals, he was named the program's first-ever WWPA Coach of the Year.
Other notables within Figueras's first season at the helm were an initial appearance in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Women's Varsity Top 25, being slotted at 23rd in each of the last three weeks of the season. He continued the program's trajectory in giving the team their third straight one-seed in the East region for the WWPA Championships.
Former and late Head Coach Colleen Lischwe was also named as an honorary Coach of the Year by the ACWPC, as she was immensely a part of the formation of this year's team before sadly passing just weeks before the season began.
She led the women's program to 82 wins and the men's program to 64 victories for a total of 146 wins across both programs. She has forever impacted all of McKendree, the local community, and the sport of water polo at various levels for the past several years.
Graduate Assistant Coach Breno Tebet was given this year's ACWPC Assistant Coach of the Year award after, like Figueras, enhanced his duties on the pool deck after an unexpected turn of events.
Tebet, a former two-year player for the Bearcats, suited up for his first season this year as the graduate assistant for both the men's and women's programs. He was an instrumental part of the team's success each and every day– breaking down game film, calling out plays, organizing practices, and so much more as a vocal leader.
Sophomore center Bella Morquecho (Chicago, Ill.) was an ACWPC First Team All-American recipient after a strong first season with McKendree in only her second year at the collegiate level. She led the team with an abundant 78 goals on 154 shot attempts (50.6%) and was one of the nation's best in drawing exclusions with 94 of them.
Other notable stats this year include 21 steals, four field blocks, and three assists. She scored a hat-trick 14 times. Morquecho collected several honors this season alone, snagging a WWPA Offensive Player of the Week honor back in February, WWPA First Team All-Conference, WWPA First Team All-Tournament, and most notably, the program's first-ever WWPA Newcomer of the Year.
Junior attacker Joey Rebelo (Montreal, Québec) was also named to the ACWPC First Team All-American after being a Swiss Army Knife in the waters all season, being both the focal point and a team contributor on both the offensive and defensive ends. It is her second time getting selected to the association's First Team, as she was honored last year as well.
Rebelo ended a successful season with 63 goals and 38 assists to combine for 101 points with a 45.7% shooting percentage. She drew 30 exclusions and held the fort down defensively with 29 steals and 14 field blocks. The junior was a two-time WWPA Offensive Player of the Week selection this season, along with a spot on the WWPA First Team All-Conference and also a First Team selection for the WWPA Championship Tournament.
ABOUT THE ACWPC
The mission of the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) is to promote the development and advancement of collegiate water polo. This shall be accomplished by providing its membership with professional education, services, and training.
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