Not much could make the 2016 women's water polo season better for head coach Jovan Vavic and junior captain Stephania Haralabidis, but the announcement on Thursday that the pair, which earlier this year swept MPSF honors for Player and Coach of the Year, claimed the national honors of the same name just might have been the exclamation mark on a perfect year.
The news comes just over two weeks after Vavic and Haralabidis led the Women of Troy to the program's second undefeated regular season and fifth national championship with a nail-biting, 8-7, victory over Stanford. The junior driver was responsible for the heart-stopping, game-winning goal against the Cardinal, and was thereby awarded NCAA Tournament MVP after scoring eight goals in USC's tournament run, including five in the championship game. The National Player of the Year recognition is the most recent of Haralabidis' postseason commendations which include MPSF Player of the Year. After tacking on 63 goals this season, she currently ranks No. 8 on USC's all-time scoring list with 185 total goals in her career. She is USC's fourth National Player of the Year selection. Haralabidis is now a three-time All-American and is a finalist for the Peter J. Cutino Award - considered to be water polo's Heisman Trophy.Â
Also announced on Thursday, junior Brigitta Games and freshman Amanda Longan earned spots on the All-American First Team, while junior Ioanna Haralabidis made the Second Team and Brianna Daboub and Avery Peterson received honorable mention.Â
