O'Reilly, Leonardi Headline Postseason CWPA Awards
4/28/2021 10:03:00 AM | Water Polo
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan senior Maddie O'Reilly was named Player of the Year and head coach Dr. Marcelo Leonardi was selected as the Coach of the Year by the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) for the 2021 season, the organization announced Wednesday (April 28) in its year-end release of awards and honors.
O'Reilly, a first-time winner of the Player of the Year award, headlined the contingent of six Wolverines who were named to the 2021 CWPA Division I all-conference team. She was joined on the first team by graduate student Heidi Ritner, senior Sofie Pontré and junior Erin Neustrom, while sophomore Anne Rankin and senior Emily Ritner earned the nod for second-team honors.
Leonardi was named Coach of the Year for the first time in his career at Michigan after leading the Wolverines to their fifth straight CWPA title and an undefeated 6-0 record in regular-season conference play. Under his guidance, the Wolverines will enter the NCAA tournament with an automatic bid and a 21-4 overall record.
O'Reilly led the CWPA in goals (45), assists (33), points (78) and sprint wins (35) and was second in the conference in field blocks (11). She scored multiple goals in 14 games, including a six-goal performance against Saint Francis on March 21. This marked her first appearance on the CWPA all-conference team.
She is the fourth woman to earn CWPA Player of the Year honors under Leonardi, joining Maddy Steere (2019), Allison Skaggs (2017) and Ali Thomason (2016). Nine other Wolverines were named CWPA Division Player of the Year prior to Leonardi's arrival.
Ritner earned her third all-conference nod as the league's best goalkeeper. She led the CWPA in saves with 122 and was second in steals with 36.
Pontré was named to the all-conference team for the first time in her career. She ranked fourth in the conference with six field blocks and tied for fifth with 20 steals. She also tallied 14 goals and 10 assists.
Neustrom also earned her first all-conference award. With 27 goals on the season -- including a pair of hat tricks in the CWPA Championship -- she ranks eighth in the conference, and she drew 26 exclusions on the year.
Rankin and Emily Ritner were named to the second team for the first time in their careers. Rankin tallied 35 points on the year for the No. 9 spot on the conference list in 2021, fueled by her 24 goals. Ritner was second only to teammate O'Reilly on the 2021 CWPA assists list with 24, boosting her to seventh in the conference for points with 39. She also ranked third in the league in field blocks (seven) and steals (27).
Michigan now turns its attention toward the NCAA Tournament, which is scheduled to begin May 14 in Los Angeles, Calif.
