The Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) announced Tuesday the selection of the organization’s 2017 Women’s Division I All-America Team. The Hoosiers earned two spots on the honorable mention list for the third year in a row, as junior Kelly Matthews and freshman Mollie Williams collected All-American accolades.
Matthews is now a three-time selection to the ACWPC’s honorable mention All-American list, after making the team alongside Candyce Schroeder in 2015 and 2016. She’s just the second player in IU history to earn three All-American honors (Kristin Stanford; 2001 hon. mention, 2002 2nd team, 2003 1st team).
Williams becomes Indiana’s 10th all-time player on an All-American team, and she’s just the second Hoosier freshman in program history to receive All-American honors (Kelly Matthews, 2015).
The Hoosiers’ dynamic duet combined for 103 goals, 79 steals, 58 assists, and 15 hat tricks during their first season in the pool together. Matthews and Williams also landed on the Collegiate Water Polo Association’s (CWPA) All-Conference team this year. Matthews raked in her third All-CWPA honor, her second selection to the first team, while Williams collected second team honors.
Matthews, Williams Garner All-CWPA Accolades
After opening her goal account in IU’s upset win over No. 8 Hawaii (1/22), Matthews uncorked a 21-game streak with at least one goal to her name. The Roxboro, Quebec native registered hat tricks in nine games this year, tying IU’s single-game record with 7 goals against Iona (3/4).
Through three seasons with Indiana, Matthews has delivered 207 goals into the back of the net (5th – IU history). She’s led the Hoosiers on the score tally every year of her collegiate career.
Williams joined the Hoosiers at the semester break and shot out of a cannon for a blistering freshman year. She led a potent freshman class with 42 goals and six hat tricks, adding 27 assists and 46 steals to the season effort. She led Indiana with 26 drawn exclusions and trailed only Matthews with 8 field blocks.
As the regular season reached its final stretch, Williams slipped into a goal-scoring groove. She finished 16 of her goals in the Hoosiers’ last two regular season weekends, marking season highs of 4 goals apiece against Princeton (4/8) and George Washington (4/9). Williams recorded at least one goal or one assist in 27-of-31 games this year, leading all Hoosiers in the feat.
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Water Polo news courtesy of Indiana Athletics.