University Southern California Trojans
Women's Water Polo Enters Qualifying Tournament
June 21, 1999 | Women's Water Polo
April 19, 1999
LOS ANGELES - The No. 1 USC women's water polo team (24-2 overall), coming off a second-place finish at the MPSF Championships, will attempt to qualify for the National Championships this weekend (April 23-25) as it participates in the Southern California Regional Tournament, hosted by UC San Diego. The Women of Troy are the top seed and will meet third-seeded San Diego State on Friday at 2 p.m. and second-seeded UCLA on Saturday at 2 p.m. Should the Women of Troy win both, they will receive a berth to the national tournament and won't play on Sunday. If they lose either or both, they will have to win at least one game on Sunday to advance.
NOTES & STATS - USC is tied with California for the No. 1 ranking in the most recent poll ... The offense is averaging 8.5 goals a game, while the defense is giving up 4.3 goals per game. Both marks are currently the best in USC history ... USC's school-record 18-game winning streak ended in the MPSF Tournament final. Prior to this season, the longest USC winning streak was seven games (both in 1998 and 1995) ... The Women of Troy set another school record by scoring double-digit goals in seven straight games ... Six of the top seven goal-scorers in 1999 are newcomers.
MPSFs - USC was the regular-season MPSF champion with an 8-1 mark. The Women of Troy had the same record as Stanford, but beat the Cardinal head-to-head. Then, at the MPSF Tournament, USC won the first four games to reach the championship, but lost a defensive struggle to California, 3-2.
HONORS & AWARDS - Jovan Vavic was named the MPSF Coach of the Year and senior goalie Bernice Orwig was the MPSF's Co-Player of the Year (with Colette Glinkowski of California). Orwig was joined on the All-MPSF first team by sophomore 2M Jennifer Durley and freshman UT Aniko Pelle. Freshman UT Sandra Milicev and freshman 2M Nina Wengst made the honorable mention squad ... Pelle was the MVP of the MPSF Tournament. Durley and Orwig made the All-Tournament first team ... Pelle was the only two-time MPSF Player of the Week. Durley earned the honor once.
VS. TEAMS COMPETING AT THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONALS - USC is a perfect 12-0 overall this season against the other six teams participating in this tournament. The Women of Troy went 4-0 against both Long Beach State and UCLA and 2-0 against both San Diego State and UC Santa Barbara. They have not played UC San Diego or Loyola Marymount.
JOVAN VAVIC - The only women's water polo coach USC has had in its five years of existence, Jovan Vavic has steadily improved the program to the point where it is now competing for a national championship. He could lead USC to a rare championship double in this school year -- in the fall, he was the co-head coach of USC's men's team when it won its first NCAA title. In five years, he has a record of 89-69 (.563) with the women's team. He was named the 1999 MPSF Coach of the Year.
BERNICE ORWIG - Quite possibly the best player in the country, senior goalie Bernice Orwig deserves much of the credit for USC's rise to the No. 1 ranking. A two-time All-American second teamer and a member of the U.S. National Team, Orwig has 192 saves in 24 games in 1999. She was named the 1999 MPSF Co-Player of the Year and an All-MPSF Tournament first teamer. The anchor of USC's defense is averaging 8.0 saves a contest and is allowing just 3.6 goals a game. She has reached double-digit saves seven times and she has had a career-best 19 saves against UCLA (April 10) at the MPSF Tournament.
EURO-STARS - Three newcomers from Europe who are outstanding scorers for USC are also members of their respective national teams ... Freshman UT Aniko Pelle of Hungary is USC's leading scorer in 1999 with 42 goals. She was the MPSF Tournament MVP and an All-MPSF first team selection. She is a two-time MPSF Player of the Week (the only MPSF player to receive the honor twice). She had a recent eight-game scoring streak, has scored four goals in a game three times and has 13 multiple-goal games ... Freshman 2M Nina Wengst of Germany is second on the team with 32 goals. She has a current 14-game scoring streak (best by a USC player in 1999). She made the All-MPSF honorable mention team ... Freshman UT Sandra Milicev of Yugoslavia is fourth on the team with 26 goals. She made the All-MPSF honorable mention team.
JENNIFER DURLEY - For the second straight year, sophomore 2M Jennifer Durley has been one of USC's top scorers. She has 28 goals (third on the team). Durley made the All-MPSF first team and the All-MPSF Tournament first team. She was also named MVP of the Hawai'i Rainbow Challenge and was named MPSF Player of the Week for her efforts. She scored a career-high four goals against the Rainbows (March 16). Last year, she had 42 goals (second on the team) and was an All-American honorable mention pick.
KELLIE CLARKE - Senior DR Kellie Clarke hasn't been asked to score goals like she has in the past, and so her defense and leadership have made a difference in 1999. She has eight goals this season (after scoring 59 in her first two seasons), but as a starter, has found other ways to contribute.
OTHER NEWCOMERS - Another member of USC's exciting freshman class, 2M Suzannah Johnson has contributed with 22 goals this season. She scored four goals against San Diego State (March 19). She prepped at Lynbrook High in San Jose, Calif. ... The state's top junior college player a year ago, junior UT Lisa Saenz has been an excellent addition in 1999. She has scored 21 goals this season. Last year, she led Golden West College in Huntington Beach, Calif., to the state JC title ... Freshmen drivers Christine Zador (Modesto, Calif.) and Shelli Linza (Los Alamitos, Calif.) have also been contributors, with 12 and 11 goals, respectively.
SELAH MAPES - One of USC's best scorers over the last few years, junior 2M Selah Mapes has added 11 goals in 1999. Six of her goals have come in the last six games.
REGIONAL QUALIFYING HISTORY - This is the first season for the Southern California Regional. Previously, there were West Regionals encompassing the entire West Coast. USC placed sixth in 1998 and seventh in 1997, good enough to advance into the national tournament. The Women of Troy narrowly missed advancing in 1996 when they placed eighth.
