Dos Pueblos grad Laurel Kistler, a senior attacker on UC San Diego women’s water polo team, was named the 2016 Western Water Polo Association Player of the Year.
A unanimous selection, Kistler took home her second All-WWPA honor after finishing fourth in the conference in goals (52), third in steals (52) and tied for first in assists (38). Overall, Kistler was responsible for a total of 90 points, second most in the WWPA.
UCSD coach Brad Kreutzkamp called Kistler “one of the hardest working players I’ve ever been privileged to coach.”
Kistler, played for Dos Pueblos teams that won three straight Division I Championships, maintaining a remarkable 69-0 record that spanned three seasons. Laurel’s sister, Olivia Kistler, is member of the current DP squad and her brother, Ian, also played for Dos Pueblos.
Over the weekend, Kistler led 12th-ranked UCSD to its fourth straight conference title at the WWPA Championships with a 9-5 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay, which features former Santa Barbara High and SBCC star Rocio Fesembeck.
UCSD will host SCIAC-champion Whittier College on May 10th in a play-in game. The winner will advance to the 2016 NCAA Championship Tournament at UCLA, where they will face the second-ranked Bruins.