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LA JOLLA, Calif. — Kendall Thomas of the UC San Diego women's water polo team was named to the 2024 All-Big West Preseason Coaches' Team as the conference made the announcement Monday.
In addition, the Tritons were projected to place fourth in the eight-team league according to the coaches.
In 2023, Thomas rang up 67 points on 56 goals and 11 assists. The center, heading into her junior season, led the Tritons in drawn exclusions with 42 and was second on the team in points and goals. Among all Big West players, she ranked seventh in goals and 10th in points. Thomas scored multiple goals in 16 games including a career-best seven in a win against conference opponent Cal State Fullerton. In the annual Harper Cup game against San Diego State, Thomas scored with three seconds left to give the Tritons a 10-9 win and keep the cup in La Jolla for the seventh-consecutive season.
Thomas earned several accolades in 2023 including All-America Honorable Mention from the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC), All-Big West Second Team, and Harper Cup MVP. She also won academic awards from the Big West and ACWPC.
In 2023, the Tritons went 14-17 overall and posted a 4-3 Big West record. They finished strong, winning five of their last six games. As the fourth seed in the Big West Championship, UC San Diego defeated fifth-seeded UC Davis in a quarterfinal and fell against top-seeded and eventual conference winner UC Irvine in the semifinal round.
Along with Thomas,
Caroline Christl and
Courtney Okumura also earned ACWPC All-America Honorable Mention.
Sofia Munatones and
Sydney Munatones joined that trio in gaining Big West postseason recognition. All five standouts return for 2024.
The season gets underway January 20 at UC Santa Barbara's Winter Invitational. The Tritons will face Ottawa, UCLA, Marist, and Whittier.
The annual Triton Invitational is scheduled for Feb. 2-4.
UC San Diego is ranked 10th nationally in the first poll of the 2024 season.
2024 Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. UC Irvine: 47 points, 5 first-place votes
2. Hawai'i: 42, 1
3. Long Beach State: 40, 2
4. UC San Diego: 31
5. UC Davis: 23
6. UC Santa Barbara: 20
7. CSUN: 13
8. Cal State Fullerton: 8
2024 All-Big West Preseason Coaches' Team
Rachel Kowalchick: Sr., Center, Long Beach State
Bia Mantellato Dias: So., Center, Hawai'i
Elisa Portillo: So., Attacker, Long Beach State
Faith Tedesco: Sr., Goalkeeper, UC Irvine
Dorottya Telek: Sr., Center, CSUN
Kendall Thomas: Jr., Center, UC San Diego
Nioka Thomas: Jr., Center, UC Irvine
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About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
