All-Around Success and Program Bests - A Season in Review
7/7/2021 3:25:00 PM | Women's Water Polo
Despite all the challenges that came with it, CBU put together a banner season in 2021 when it came to team success, individual awards and continued its trend of excellence in the classroom along the way. The Lancers matched their best-ever NCAA ranking at No. 17 in the country in 2021, and their top-four seed and finish in the Golden Coast Conference tied for the second-best marks in program history.
🚨 RANKINGS UPDATE 🚨
— California Baptist Women's Water Polo (@LancersWWP) April 14, 2021
CBU has just matched its best-ever NCAA ranking in the modern era, as the Lancers are #⃣1⃣7⃣ in today's @CWPAWaterPolo poll.
🔗 https://t.co/tdWCw52M2D#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/6Z1ItA7tS8
"We're extremely proud of our team and the way they competed throughout the season in light of the challenges due to the pandemic," Coach Jon Miller said. "To be able to finish top four in the GCC and achieve program highs in both national ranking and team GPA are all very impressive accomplishments. This team put in a tremendous amount of work this year and I believe it will help us continue to grow as a program going forward."
Officially @GCCWP Championships bound! 🚌#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/WK8SctHnNl
— California Baptist Women's Water Polo (@LancersWWP) April 22, 2021
Overall, California Baptist put together a 5-11 record and 3-4 run in the GCC. It came during the most challenging schedule CBU has ever tackled; as a single-season record, 75 percent of its games came against ranked opponents.
The Lancers faced 12 top-25 teams, 10 opponents in the top-15 and six top-10 foes over their 16 games in 2021. The 10 top-15 and six top-10 games were one off the program's single-season record dating back through 2011, despite 2021 being far less than the average 34.8 games CBU played a year from 2000-19.
AWARDS SEASON
CBU brought in its fair share of awards this season, starting with three players earning All-GCC awards. It marked the sixth time in seven seasons the Lancers have earned first and second-team awards. They have produced three honorees for all seven years in the GCC.
🏆🏆🏆
— California Baptist Women's Water Polo (@LancersWWP) April 20, 2021
Congratulations to Jamie Hutton on being named to the All @GCCWP Second Team after a standout season.
🔹 Leads CBU with 19 assists, ranks second with 24 goals and 43 points
🔹 Ranks 5th in points and assists and 9th in goals in GCC
🔹 Five hat tricks #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/QXK8Gj44Wy
Kira O'Donell made the All-GCC First Team, while Jamie Hutton was a Second Team selection and Melinna Galbraith made the All-Freshman Second Team.
Amy Branch went on to become the third Lancer to make the GCC All-Tournament after she tallied seven points on five assists and two goals in CBU's GCC Tournament semifinal versus 11th-ranked and eventual champion Fresno State.
🏆 GCC ALL-TOURNAMENT 🏆
— California Baptist Women's Water Polo (@LancersWWP) April 24, 2021
Amy Branch becomes the third Lancer to earn @GCCWP All-Tournament honors. The senior led CBU with seven points on two goals and five assists in the postseason. Her five assists are tied for sixth in the program's single-game record book.#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/HaeUsBXWKN
O'Donell went on to become the fifth Lancer to ever receive NCAA Division I All-American honors, while extending CBU's streak in that arena to three straight seasons.
🇺🇸 𝑨𝑳𝑳-𝑨𝑴𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑪𝑨𝑵 🇺🇸
— California Baptist Women's Water Polo (@LancersWWP) June 3, 2021
Congratulations to Kira O'Donell on her third NCAA All-American honor. She's the first Lancer to earn two All-American awards at the D1 level after she led CBU with 32 goals, 51 points and 22 drawn ejections in 15 games. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/S1zyPEhAlg
ACADEMIC SUCCESS
The Lancers' trend of success not only in the pool but in the classroom continued. The team maintained a 3.643 grade-point average and qualified a program-record 19 student-athletes for the GCC All-Academic Team, which led the entire conference.
To be selected, student-athletes had to carry a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher, played in at least 50 percent of their team's games and be classified as a full-time student who has completed a minimum of one semester at her institution.
CBU has put together some of the best team grade-point averages in the country in recent years. The Lancers had the best team GPA among all NCAA Division I teams with a 3.61 in 2019 and ranked top-seven in D-I with a 3.49 in 2020.
The Lancers posted top-five team GPAs in the NCAA overall (Divisions I-III) for four years in a row (2016-19), with 2021 still yet to be determined by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches.
It was another great year in the classroom for your Lancers 👌#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/RKfwlhbRYt
— California Baptist Women's Water Polo (@LancersWWP) May 14, 2021
