header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
April 19
1880 - Pico Oil Spring Mine Section 2 patented by R.F. Baker and Edward F. Beale [story]
E.F. Beale


In a perfect topper to an already perfect season, USC has claimed both National Coach and Player of the Year awards from the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches for 2016.USCTrojansSC2

The undefeated Women of Troy — under the direction of newly crowned National Coach of the Year Jovan Vavic — won the 2016 NCAA Championship last month thanks in part to a brilliant long-range score from junior Stephania Haralabidis, who has become the fourth Trojan to be named National Player of the Year. Now a three-time All-American, Stephania Haralabidis is joined by five other teammates on the All-American honor roll. Junior Brigitta Games and freshman Amanda Longan also have landed spots on the All-American First Team. Junior Ioanna Haralabidis is on the All-American Second Team, and first-time All-Americans Brianna Daboub and Avery Peterson have picked up All-American Honorable Mention for their key roles in USC’s undefeated run to the 2016 national championship.

Now with seven career selections as the National Coach of the Year, USC head coach Jovan Vavic has laid claim to the most such awards on the women’s side of the game, surpassing former UCLA coach Adam Krikorian. Vavic’s Women of Troy have collected five national championships during his 22-year tenure, including this latest perfect season, which was the second undefeated mark by the USC women in program history. His 2016 claim to National Coach of the Year status goes along with his collection of awards from 2013, 2010, 2004, 2003, 2002 and 1999. USC’s 26-0 record in 2016 runs Vavic’s career record with the Women of Troy to 513-142 (.783). Vavic collected his 500th career win on the women’s side this season in a victory over Stanford on Feb. 28. His Trojans would go on to beat the Cardinal three more time, including the epic 8-7 win in the 2016 national championship game. Also named the MPSF Coach of the Year this season, Vavic has now claimed both the conference and national coaching awards four times (1999, 2004, 2010 & 2016) on the women’s side of the game. As head of the USC men’s and women’s programs, Vavic has hauled in a combined 14 national championships, 13 National Coach of the Year awards and 11 MPSF Coach of the Year honors.

USC junior Stephania Haralabidis is now the fourth Trojan to be named National Player of the Year on the women’s side, following in the footsteps of previous USC honorees Kami Craig (2010), Moriah Van Norman (2004) and Bernice Orwig (1999). Haralabidis also was named the 2016 MPSF Player of the Year, and that was before the junior lefty almost single-handedly won the NCAA title match for the Trojans. She would serve up five goals in the championship bout against Stanford, including the game-winning blast from almost mid-pool. The deserved NCAA Tournament MVP finished out her junior campaign as USC’s top scorer with 63 goals served. That upped her career count to 185, making her USC’s No. 8 all-time scorer. Haralabidis scored in every game in which she appeared in 2016 to help her Trojans along to a perfect 2016 season. Haralabidis is now a three-time All-American, adding this year’s First Team upgrade to her 2015 All-America Second Team selection and 2014 Honorable Mention as a freshman. A native of Athens, Greece, Haralabidis is also a finalist for the prestigious Peter J. Cutino Award — considered the Heisman Trophy of water polo — along with fellow teammate and freshly inked First Team All-American Brigitta Games.

Brigitta Games now has her second All-American honors under her belt, having broken out to a huge junior season with the Trojans to earn deserved selection as a Cutino Award finalist and First Team All-American. USC’s second leading scorer in 2016 with 43 goals, Games was responsible for countless ejections earned to charge her team along to 26 wins on the year. Games scored in 23 of those victories, and racked up seven goals during the NCAA Tournament. She plugged in a hat trick in USC’s semifinal win over Michigan and added two big goals in the NCAA title match. She’d lock in on a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament First Team after picking up a spot on the All-MPSF Second Team during the regular season.

In her first season as a Trojan, freshman goalie Amanda Longan made a big splash for the USC cause. Longan is the fourth USC freshman ever to open her career on the All-America First Team, following Anni Espar (2013), Monica Vavic (2012) and Aniko Pelle (1999). After collecting five MPSF Newcomer of the Week awards during the regular season, Longan was named the MPSF Tournament MVP and had a spot on the All-MPSF First Team. In 18 appearances for the Trojans, Longan gathered in 145 saves to average double digits with 10.4 saves per game. The freshman would allow only 4.7 goals-against per game to help anchor an incredibly stingy USC defensive effort in 2016. Longan topped out with a whopping 17 saves in a decisive 8-3 win at Stanford during MPSF play, marking one of eight double-digit save outings by the freshman.

Weighing in as a Second Team All-American in her junior season at USC is junior Ioanna Haralabidis, who has stepped up her Honorable Mention status from her sophomore campaign. A defensive lock who also stood tall as USC’s third leading scorer in 2016 with 35 goal, Haralabidis now ranks No. 20 all-time in career scoring at Troy with 118 goals. She picked up a place on the All-MPSF First Team this year and finished out USC’s perfect season by scoring in 19 games.

Two first-time All-Americans grace this year’s All-America Honorable Mention list, with sophomore Brianna Daboub and junior Avery Peterson issuing standout seasons for the Women of Troy in 2016. Both delivered some huge performances for the Trojans during the run to the 2016 NCAA Championship, and both also earned All-MPSF Honorable Mention this season. Daboub was selected to the NCAA All-Tournament Second Team and finished out the year as USC’s fourth leading scorer with 28 goals in her sophomore campaign. Peterson, meanwhile, was third on the team in scoring with 35 goals — more than her freshman and sophomore season scoring total combined — and was responsible for a great deal ejections earned to help set up her Trojans for success. Both team captains in 2016, Peterson and Daboub both delivered hat tricks in USC’s MPSF Championship win over Stanford.

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

0 Comments

You can be the first one to leave a comment.

Leave a Comment


WATCH NOW
LOCAL SPORTS HEADLINES
Thursday, Apr 18, 2024
The Master's University men's golf team shot a 13-under 275 to finish second at the Golden State Athletic Conference Men's Golf Championships held at Briarwood Country Club in Sun City West, Ariz.
Thursday, Apr 18, 2024
College of the Canyons made quick work of visiting L.A. Valley College in a shortened 11-3 home victory that came on a day in which the program unveiled its newly named Michele Jenkins Softball Team Room during a pre-game dedication ceremony.
Thursday, Apr 18, 2024
College of the Canyons student-athletes Nichole Muro (softball) and Angelo Aleman (baseball) have been named the COC Athletic Department's Women's and Men's Student-Athletes of the Week for the period running April 8-13.
Monday, Apr 15, 2024
Angelo Aleman smacked a pair of home runs as College of the Canyons concluded its three-game series vs. Antelope Valley College with a 10-5 home victory at Mike Gillespie Field on Friday. 
Monday, Apr 15, 2024
The Master's University men's volleyball team left no doubt about it as they swept the OUAZ Spirit 25-22, 25-14, 25-22 in the season finale Saturday in The MacArthur Center.

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
1880 - Pico Oil Spring Mine Section 2 patented by R.F. Baker and Edward F. Beale [story]
E.F. Beale
The Master's University men's golf team shot a 13-under 275 to finish second at the Golden State Athletic Conference Men's Golf Championships held at Briarwood Country Club in Sun City West, Ariz.
TMU Men’s Golf Places 2nd, Women 5th at GSAC Championships
Join local nonprofit Project Sebastian for an exhilarating day of racing and community support at its Rare Warrior 24 race on Saturday, June 1, at Heritage Park in the heart of Santa Clarita.
June 1: Rare Warrior 24 Race Benefiting Project Sebastian
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station Station deputies will be taking part in the “DEA National Drug Take Back Day,” Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in front of the SCV Sheriff’s Station, located at 26201 Golden Valley Road.
April 27: Drug Take Back Day at SCV Sheriff’s Station
The College of the Canyons Center for Civic and Community Engagement—in collaboration with COC’s Golden Z Club—invites the community to attend the Nonprofit Community Resource Fair on Tuesday, April 30.
April 30: COC Hosts Nonprofit Community Resource Fair
College of the Canyons made quick work of visiting L.A. Valley College in a shortened 11-3 home victory that came on a day in which the program unveiled its newly named Michele Jenkins Softball Team Room during a pre-game dedication ceremony.
Lady Cougs Outslug L.A. Valley 11-3
For aspiring scientists at The Master’s University, taking up a student research project is no small commitment.
Retired Professor Continues to Mentor Aspiring TMU Scientists
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is warning residents not to use a Vietnamese herbal ointment called “Cao Bôi Trĩ Cây Thầu Dầu” (Castor Oil Hemorrhoid Extract) because it contains lead and can be fatal.
Public Health Urges Residents to Avoid Vietnamese Hemorrhoid Cream
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond hosted a California Apprenticeship Summit Wednesday to raise awareness of apprenticeship opportunities and career technical education pathways that connect California’s youth to high-wage, high-growth career opportunities.
State Apprenticeship Summit Connects Youth to High-Wage Opportunities
College of the Canyons student-athletes Nichole Muro (softball) and Angelo Aleman (baseball) have been named the COC Athletic Department's Women's and Men's Student-Athletes of the Week for the period running April 8-13.
COC Names Nichole Muro, Angelo Aleman Athletes of the Week
California State Sen. Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, announced Wednesday his bill improving transparency between parents and schools’ sexual education curricula passed out of the Senate Education Committee.
Wilk’s Sex Education Transparency Bill Clears Senate Committee
1945 - Actors Harry & Olive Carey sell Saugus ranch after 29 years; now Tesoro del Valle [story]
Carey Ranch
The 76.6-mile-long Antelope Valley Line has the third-highest ridership in Metrolink’s system with an estimated average of 9,000 passengers daily. However, the uneven terrain and single-tracking along the line in some areas forces trains to travel at a slower speed which results in an estimated travel time of approximately one hour between Santa Clarita and Union Station.
Metrolink to Hold Public Meetings on AV Line Capacity, Improvements
Team Dragon Eyes, affectionately known as TDE, is gearing up to host its highly anticipated Fifth Annual Dragonboat Festival race on Saturday, June 1 at Castaic Lake, Lower Lagoon.
June 1: Team Dragon Eyes to Host Fifth Annual Dragonboat Festival Race
This year marks the 20th year that the city of Santa Clarita has been hosting the annual Bike to Work Challenge. The community is invited to celebrate by riding a bike to work the week of May 13, and stopping by a pit stop on Thursday, May 16.
Party at the Pit Stop, City Paves Way for 20th Annual Bike to Work Challenge
Ready to take control of your financial future? Join the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs Center for Financial Empowerment for the next installment in the Lunch & Learn Financial Capability Month webinar series, "Understanding Credit.
Online Financial Workshops with County DCBA
The Santa Clarita Valley Concert Band will perform a "Starry Might" concert at 7 p.m. on Saturday May 4. The concert, under the direction of Tim Durand, will be held at the Canyon Theatre Guild, 24242 Main St., Newhall, CA 91321.
May 4: SCV Concert Band Presents ‘Starry Night’ at CTG
After a record-setting 2023 combatting organized retail crime, the California Highway Patrol continues to aggressively disrupt and dismantle illegal operations throughout California.
CHP Continues Organized Retail Crime Crackdown, Recovers $4.2M in Goods
Celebrate Earth Day on Monday, April 22 with California State Parks at any of the 280 unique park units across the state. State Parks has numerous Earth Day-themed events planned. They include in-person activities such as guided walks and hikes, workdays and a bioblitz, as well as virtual programming with a live dive broadcast exploring the hidden world of the ocean.
April 22: Celebrate Earth Day at California State Parks
1930 - Telephone switchboard operator Louise Gipe, heroine of the 1928 St. Francis Dam disaster, tries & fails to kill herself over an unrequited love [story]
Louise Gipe
Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s Major Crimes Bureau Detectives worked closely with Century Station Detectives after learning of a serial robbery crew committing crimes throughout Los Angeles County. 
Serial Robbery Crew Arrested
Join the Samuel Dixon Family Health Center for their second annual Cornhole Tournament fundraiser where all proceeds will support mental health services to anyone in need.
May 18: Samuel Dixon Cornhole Tournament Fundraiser
California State University, Northridge will confer honorary doctorates on four alumni, all respected leaders in their fields, at the university’s commencement ceremonies next month.
CSUN to Confer Honorary Degrees on Business & Education Leaders, All Alumni
On Saturday, April 20, 2024 Valencia High School Theatre will host the 104th DTASC (Drama Teachers’ Association of Southern California) Shakespeare Festival.
April 20: 104th DTASC Shakespeare Festival at Valencia High School
SCVNews.com