June 4, 2007

ERIE, Pa. - Eight members of the Mercyhurst College women's water polo team were named All-Academic by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC). Kallen Dearnbarger and Rhonda Marable earned the organization's highest distinction, earning places on the Outstanding Level. The duo also helped lead the Lakers to a 3.35 team GPA, which ranked third in the nation.

A student-athlete must post a GPA of at least 3.71 to earn placement on the Outstanding Level. Dearnbarger and Marable were two of just 52 nationwide to earn the honor.

Teammates Renee Sander, Christie Haibach, Cathi Korenich, Christine Somera and Jacqueline Phillips earned spots on the Superior Level. The Superior Level requires a GPA of at least 3.41.

Carrie Willison was the eighth Laker on the All-Academic team, with a place on the Excellent Level, which requires at least a 3.20 GPA.

Dearnbarger ranked sixth nationally with a 3.93 GPA. She scored three goals and added four steals in 12 games in 2007. All three goals, a team-high, came in a win over Penn State Behrend on March 28. She is an English Education major.

Marable posted a 3.80 GPA in her first year at Mercyhurst. A communications major, she started in 24 of the 26 games she played. Marable scored 37 points on 18 goals and 19 assists, ranking third on the team in points, while tying for third in both goals and assists. She contributed a team-high 81 steals and three drawn ejections. She had 10 steals against Grove City on March 17.

Sander notched a 3.69 GPA as a Mathematics major. She started and played in 26 games, scoring four goals and had seven assists for 11 points. She added 23 steals and four drawn ejections. Her season high of three goals came against Cal State Bakersfield.

An Elementary/Special Education major, Haibach posted a 3.67 GPA. In 2007, she scored 18 goals and assisted on six for 24 points in 22 games, all starts. Haibach tied for third on the team in goals scored, and also had 37 steals and eight drawn ejections. She led the team in steals five times.

Korenich posted a 3.61 GPA in Accounting as a freshman. A backup goalie, she started twice in seven appearances and made 32 saves with a .542 save percentage. She led the team with seven assists - school record for a goalie - in a win over Penn State Behrend on March 26.

Somera, majoring in Social Work, has a 3.60 GPA. She scored 54 goals and assisted on 23 for a point total of 77, ranking second on the team in all three categories, while starting all 26 games. Her 69 drawn ejections led the team. She also added 57 steals, third on the team. Somera led team with 15 multi-goal matches, including six against Iona on April 1 and a five goal effort against Washington & Jefferson and led team in goals 10 times, assists six times, steals four times and drawn ejections 17 times. She had seven steals against Grove City on March 17 and notched eight drawn ejections against Cal State Bakersfield on March 2. She was named All-Collegiate Water Polo Association Western Division First Team.

Phillips tallied a 3.49 GPA. She started and played in 25 games, scoring 13 goals and eight assists for 21 points. She also had 26 steals and six drawn ejections.

Willison, a Business major, had a 3.35 GPA. She posted 103 points with 57 goals and 46 assists, starting all 26 games. Willison led the team in goals, assists and points and also contributed 61 steals and 54 drawn ejections, with both totals good for second on the team. She scored six goals in the Washington & Jefferson game at the Western Division Championships to top the 100 point mark for the season, just the third time in school history a player has scored in the triple digits in a season. Willison also scored the game-winner in double overtime victory against Slippery Rock on March 24. She had 14 multi-goal efforts and had 12 multi-assist matches, and led team in goals 12 times, assists 15 times, steals nine times and drawn ejections 13 times. Willison had seven steals against St. Francis (N.Y.) on March 31.

Dearnbarger, Somera, Haibach and Sander all earned the honor last season, as well. It continued Mercyhurst's excellence in the classroom, as last season the Lakers ranked second in the nation in team GPA.

"This was not only a great season for the athletes in the water, but they also performed great in the classroom. This is obviously a good statement about our sport: Water polo players are committed to both academic and athletic excellence," said Mike Lewis, the ACWPC's Executive Director.

Mercyhurst finished the 2007 season sixth at the CWPA Western Division Championships after an 11-14 mark in the regular season and a 4-6 mark in the CWPA.