April 29, 2009

IRVINE, Calif. -

Original Big West Conference Release in PDF Format

Senior attacker Lindsay Kiyama was selected to the 2009 Big West Women's Water Polo All-Conference first team while defender Kaylee Miller shared Freshman of the Year honors to lead four UC Davis student-athletes honored among the league's inaugural awards, it was announced by information director Mike Villamor Wednesday.

Junior Ashley Chandler and sophomore Dakotah Mohr each made the All-Big West Conference second team. Miller added all-conference honorable mention to her Freshman of the Year accolades.

UC Irvine senior two-meter Gianni Rossi won Big West Player of the Year distinction, while her mentor Dan Klatt garnered Coach of the Year honors.

Kiyama led the Aggies and finished fifth in the conference with 53 goals in 33 games. She also led the team in steals with 43 (entering last weekend's Big West tournament) while ranking among team leaders in assists (31) and blocks (10). The first-team nod is another in a line of awards during Kiyama's career, joining the mantle with her All-America honorable mention from 2008. She finishes her career with 130 goals, fifth in school history.

Mohr was second on the team with 42 goals, although her most important contribution to the UC Davis offense was her school-record 116 drawn exclusions and 11 drawn five-meter penalties. The 2008 Western Water Polo Association Freshman of the Year also recorded 28 steals for the season.

Miller chopped the freshman honor with UCI's Morgan Vickers, finishing third on UC Davis and third among Big West freshmen with 33 goals. She was particularly effective against conference teams, posting hat tricks against Cal State Northridge and Pacific during the regular season then netting two goals each against CSUN and UC Irvine during the conference tournament.

Chandler contributed both offensively (26 goals, 23 assists) and defensively (33 steals, 11 blocks) in her first season as the Aggies' top two-meter defender. Her efforts helped UC Davis hold opponents to just 7.48 goals per game.

UC Davis finished 23-10 with a third-place showing in the inaugural Big West Conference tournament. The Aggies also were conference tri-champions during the regular season and climbed as high as No. 7 in the national rankings.