Michigan Trio Named to All-Southern Division First Team
5/1/2002 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
The announcement comes on the heels of No. 13 Michigan's winning of the CWPA title and the automatic NCAA Tournament bid that accompanies it. Both the CWPA championship and the tournament berth are firsts for the two-year-old Michigan varsity program. The Wolverines are 25-11 on the 2002 season and will next play No. 1 Stanford in the NCAA Tournament semifinals on May 11 in Los Angeles, Calif.
Nisbet, a sophomore, has been one of U-M's most steady forces in the water in 2002. The two-meter player has a team-leading 46 goals, with 15 coming in the last two weeks of play when Michigan has been competing in playoff competitions. Nisbet's sudden-death overtime goal against Indiana on April 27 ended the longest game in Michigan history at 42:18 and gave the Wolverines the opportunity to play for the conference championship. Nisbet is also first on the team in drawn kick outs (43) and third on the team in shooting percentage with a .505 clip (46-91). Nisbet was an first team CWPA all-tournament selection.
Brown has proved to be a well-rounded member of the Michigan squad as a freshman. As a driver she has compiled 41 goals, 23 assists, 20 steals and 36 drawn kick outs, good good for third place on the team in goals, second in assists, fifth in steals and second in drawn kick outs. Brown was an second team CWPA all-tournament selection.
Armstrong has been the backbone of the Maize and Blue defense as she has played in 33 of the team's 36 games. The freshman goaltender made 291 saves while allowing 204 goals in 2002 for a 6.38 goals against average. She also has accumulated 34 steals and seven assists. Armstrong is the Michigan goalie single-season record-holder for saves (291), assists (7), steals (34), minutes played (895) and GAA (6.38).
Armstrong made a school-record 19 saves in the quadruple overtime win against Indiana in the CWPA semifinals on April 27 and was named to the CWPA all-tournament first team. In addition, she was selected as the tournament MVP and the title game's MVP in U-M's double-overtime win over Hartwick on April 28, and she was the CWPA Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 25-March 3.
CWPA All-Southern Division Honors
| FIRST TEAM Erin Brown, Michigan Jenny Edwards, Princeton Adele McCarthy-Beauvais, Princeton Cassie Nichols, Princeton Julie Nisbet, Michigan Kristin Stanford, Indiana Betsey Armstrong, Michigan (Goalie) | | SECOND TEAM Erin Agee, Villanova Mia Fabian, George Washington Natalie Grabowski, Gannon Sharna Nelson, Indiana Ashley Pyka, George Washington Brooke Rea, Bucknell Lynn Boutin, Slippery Rock (Goalie) |
Most Valuable Player: Cassie Nichols, Princeton Coach of the Year: Don Sherman, Gannon | ||
Contact: Matt Trevor, Paul Dickerson (734) 763-4423
