Lachlan Edwards & McQuin Baron Land All-MPSF First Team Honors

As the USC men's water polo team turn from winning the MPSF Tournament championship last weekend to hosting the NCAA Tournament next week, six Trojans have picked up All-MPSF honors for their work to date in 2017. Standing tall on the All-MPSF First Team are seniors McQuin Baron and Lachlan Edwards, with fellow seniors Blake Edwards and Matteo Morelli on the All-MPSF Second Team. Weighing in with All-MPSF Honorable Mention are sophomore Matt Maier and freshman Marko Vavic.

A first-time pick to the All-MPSF First Team, senior two-meter man Lachlan Edwards has shouldered the load for the Trojans at set this season. Having earned countless exclusions to set up his team for power plays, Edwards has punched up 31 goals of his own along the way, striking in 19 games with nine multiple-goal outings. That includes a five-goal outburst from the Aussie earlier this year. Also recently selected to the MPSF All-Tournament Team, Edwards has climbed to rank No. 17 all-time in career scoring at USC as he holds 139 goals to his name entering the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Edwards was an All-MPSF Second Team honoree the previous two seasons.

Now a four-time All-MPSF honoree, senior goalie McQuin Baron has his second All-MPSF First Team selection in the books. Recently named the MPSF Tournament MVP for the second straight season, Baron has climbed the USC career saves ladder to stand as the Trojans' all-time saves leader with 1,055 saves to date. That puts him just three saves away from taking over as the MPSF's all-time saves leader as the Trojans turn to start the NCAA Tournament next week. This year, Baron has accumulated 238 saves, averaging 10.7 per game while giving up just 5.48 goals per game in his 27 appearances in the cage for the 25-3 Trojans. Baron has hit double-digit saves in 11 games so far this season. He was an Honorable Mention recipient as a freshman in 2014 and a Second Team selection in 2015 before stepping up for these back-to-back First Team honors from the conference.

USC's senior strength also is displayed on the All-MPSF Second Team, where Blake Edwards and Matteo Morelli have earned another round of conference honors. For Edwards, it is his third set All-MPSF accolades, having picked up First Team honors in 2015 and Second Team selection last year. Edwards is the Trojans second leading scorer this season with 44 goals to date. He's struck in 23 games with 14 multiple-goal outings, including a seven-goal game earlier in the season. The Aussie has cracked USC's top-10 career scoring list, now ranked at No. 9 all-time with 154 career goals. Not too far behind Edwards is Italian sharpshooter Matteo Morelli, who adds this year's All-MPSF Second Team honors to his First Team pick last year. Morelli currently ranks No. 13 all-time at USC with 144 career goals. The speedy senior is USC's third leading scorer with 34 goals so far in 2017, and recently earned a place on the MPSF All-Tournament Team. Morelli has scored in 21 games to date, with nine multiple-goal efforts this year, including notching his third five-goal game as a Trojan in late October.

USC's depth is reflected in two young Trojans on the All-MPSF Honorable Mention list. Last year's MPSF Newcomer of the Year, sophomore Matt Maier has been a warrior for the Trojans once again. With 25 goals to his name in 2017, Maier has scored in 16 games with eight multiple-goal outings. His fellow Honorable Mention recipient this year is freshman Marko Vavic, who stands out as USC's top scorer on the year with 47 goals scored in his first year as a Trojan. Vavic has scored in 22 games with 16 multiple-goal efforts. He's also snagged three MPSF Newcomer of the Week awards this year.

USC's six All-MPSF honorees join forces with their fellow Trojans to prepare for the coming NCAA Tournament, which USC will host next week. The Trojans will open up with an opening round game at 7 p.m. on Nov. 30 to fight for a spot in the NCAA Semifinals against Cal at 5:15 p.m. on Dec. 2. The NCAA Championship game is set for 3 p.m. on Dec. 3. All the action will take place at USC's Uytengsu Aquatics Center.

All-MPSF First Team
Lachlan Edwards
McQuin Baron

All-MPSF Second Team
Blake Edwards
Matteo Morelli

All-MPSF Honorable Mention
Matt Maier
Marko Vavic

Players Mentioned

McQuin Baron

Blake Edwards

Lachlan Edwards

Matt Maier

Matteo Morelli

Marko Vavic