Oliver Leads Five 'Roos in All-CWPA Honors

SHERMAN, Texas - Sophie Oliver was named the Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III Player of the Year and Austin College head coach Mark Lawrence was named the CWPA Division III Coach of the Year, and four more 'Roos were honored as All-CWPA selections for their outstanding performances in the 2021 season.

Oliver, a sophomore from Houston, was named first team All-CWPA in addition to being the CWPA Player of the Year after leading the league in scoring with 29 goals, also leading Austin College in both steals and assists. 

Lexi Wong, Madison Taylor, and Valery Piachonkina joined Oliver as first team All-CWPA selections, and Brooke Le was named second team All-Conference. Wong, a junior from Lantana, and Taylor, a junior from Copper Canyon, were second and third in the CWPA in scoring with 18 and 17 goals, respectively. Taylor also led the team in ejections drawn and was named the CWPA Tournament Most Valuable Player. Piachonkina, a junior goalie from Castro Valley, California, was stellar in the net all season for Austin College, making 61 saves. Le, a junior from Flower Mound, was fifth in the CWPA in scoring with 12 goals on the year.

Lawrence earned Coach of the Year honors after leading Austin College to a 6-2 record and a conference championship, with the team's only two losses coming against nationally ranked Division I opponent Pacific. The 'Roos were 4-0 against Division III opponents, and also swept two Division II opponents this season, cracking the national Division I Top 25 rankings late in the season.