2025 All-WWPA Team announced, McKendree sweeps top individual honors
2025 All-WWPA Team (PDF)
The 2025 Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) all-conference team has been announced ahead of the WWPA Women's Championship, April 25-27, at Peak Health Aquatic Center at Mylan Park in Morgantown, W. Va.
28 student-athletes received postseason conference honors following voting by the conference's six head coaches. Two-time defending champion Biola, McKendree and Salem all had six players apiece recognized.
McKendree earned the conference's top individual honors for the first time in program history, taking home both Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year following a regular season that commenced with incredible tragedy.
Bearcat goalkeeper Sydney Kane was named WWPA Player of the Year following a standout senior campaign. She led the conference in saves (295), save percentage (.594), saves per game (11.3), and, her goals against average (8.37) was over three goals less than the next closest WWPA starter. She posted double-digit save performances in 17 of her 25 appearances, including a 20-save outing in a conference win over Gannon.
The Kankakee, Ill. product broke the 800-career save threshold, and, earned WWPA Defensive Player of the Week three times in 2025. She earned WWPA All-Defensive accolades as well.
It is just the third time in the past 10 seasons in which a goalie has taken home WWPA Player of the Year (Daniela Passoni, Cal State East Bay '23; Courtney Miller, UC San Diego '15).
Joining Kane on the First Team is her teammate, Bella Morquecho, the 2025 WWPA Newcomer of the Year. Morquecho, an Iona transfer, led her team in goals (67) - third-best in the conference - and ranked sixth in the WWPA in total points (70). The sophomore was named WWPA Offensive Player of the Week for the week of February 3-9.
Bearcat Joey Rebelo was named First Team for the second year in a row. The southpaw ranks second in the conference in total points (95), fourth in goals (62) and seventh in total assists (7). She was named WWPA Offensive Player of the Week twice (Jan. 27-Feb. 2; Mar. 10-16).
Biola's Veralie Naranjo earned her second-straight First Team nod after leading the conference in points (97) and finishing second in goals (71). The 2024 WWPA Player of the Year was named Offensive Player of the Week twice (Feb. 17-23; Mar. 17-23) and had five games of five goals or more.
Fresno Pacific's Tatum Benson and Gannon's Jade Strickland both earned their third-straight WWPA First Team awards.
Benson led the conference in scoring (79) and goals per game (3.3) while slotting in third in total points (85). She had six games of six goals or more during her senior campaign and earned WWPA Offensive Player of the Week twice (Jan. 20-26; Feb. 24-Mar. 2).
Strickland is the first player in conference history to be named First Team and All-Defensive in back-to-back seasons. The senior attacker serves as a jack-of-all-trades for the Golden Knights, ranking in the top-10 in goals (10th, 43), points (9th, 63), sprint wins (4th, 18) and steals (6th, 30). She was named WWPA Offensive Player of the Week (Mar. 31-Apr. 6) after posting tournament highs in points, goals and sprint wins at the Erie Classic.
Rounding out the First Team is Cal State Monterey Bay's Autumn Day, who was named to the top squad for the second year in a row. The junior attacker ranked in the WWPA top-8 in points (3rd, 85), goals (5th, 55) and assists (8th, 30). She joins Stickland on the WWPA All-Defensive Team.
Coverage for the 2025 WWPA Championship is available free-of-charge all weekend long on www.thewwpa.com.
2025 WWPA Women's All-Conference Team (PDF)
Player of the Year: Sydney Kane, Sr., McKendree
Newcomer of the Year: Bella Morquecho, So., McKendree
First Team
Veralie Naranjo, Sr., Biola
Tatum Benson, Sr., Fresno Pacific
Bella Morquecho, So., McKendree
Autumn Day, Jr., Cal State Monterey Bay
Joey Rebelo, Jr., McKendree
Jade Strickland, Sr., Gannon
Sydney Kane, Sr., McKendree
Second Team
Allyson Ainsworth, Sr., Cal State Monterey Bay
Courtney Repinz, Jr., Salem
Ava LoBue, Sr., Biola
Maggie Cook, So., Fresno Pacific
Lucy Bramwell, Fr., Salem
Alli Hepner, Jr., Fresno Pacific
Marissa White, Fr., Cal State Monterey Bay
Honorable Mention
Jasmin Guzman, 5th, McKendree
Lizzy Birch, Sr., Biola
Emma Sosa, Fr., Cal State Monterey Bay
Kristen Hemmila, Fr., Salem
Molly Fehr, Jr., Gannon
Emily Rosa, Fr., Salem
Keri Brooks, Jr., Salem
Emily Low, So., Salem
All-Defensive
Ava LoBue, Sr., Biola
Christina Cervantes, Sr., Biola
Autumn Day, Jr., Cal State Monterey Bay
Maggie Cook, So., Fresno Pacific
Jade Strickland, Sr., Gannon
Allie Diller, Jr., McKendree
Sydney Kane, Sr., McKendree
All-Freshman
Destiny Moreno, Fr., Biola
Emma Sosa, Fr., Cal State Monterey Bay
Gwendolyn Pidd, Fr., Biola
Dakota Lambert, Fr., Fresno Pacific
Maisie Mattocks, Fr., McKendree
Lucy Bramwell, Fr., Salem
Marissa White, Fr., Cal State Monterey Bay