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Women's Water Polo

Minnis and Piovan Take Home Major CWPA Awards, Four Others Named to All-Conference Teams

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard women's water polo took home two major conference awards and placed five athletes on the All-Conference team, the CWPA announced today.

Niki Piovan was named CWPA Rookie of the Year, while Ted Minnis earned his third CWPA Coach of the Year award after leading the Crimson to its first-ever regular season title.

Emma Gilbert and Niki Piovan were named to the CWPA First Team, while Orli CooperRuby Hodge, and Maya O'Dea earned Second Team honors.

Piovan finished the season as a force on both ends of the pool, netting 53 goals, adding 43 assists, and leading the team with 41 steals. A three-time CWPA Rookie of the Week, Piovan's 96 points mark the highest total by a Crimson rookie since at least 2020. She joins Maya O'Dea as the only current Crimson players to receive CWPA Rookie of the Year honors.

Minnis led Harvard through one of its most successful campaigns to date, clinching the program's first-ever regular season title with a 10-2 conference record and a 23-6 overall mark. The Crimson began the season 6-1, notching wins over No. 25 LIU, No. 19 Wagner, No. 15 UCSB, No. 13 Princeton, No. 11 UCSD, No. 16 Michigan, No. 23 CBU, and No. 22 Brown — one of the best starts in program history. Minnis also picked up his 250th career win in a 15-9 victory over Brown on March 8. Harvard climbed as high as No. 7 in the national rankings — the highest in program history — and is now just one win shy of tying the single-season win record set by the 2016 team (24-10).

Gilbert was an offensive standout for the Crimson, finishing the regular season with 74 goals and 22 assists. Leading the team in goals for the second consecutive year, the sophomore earned one CWPA weekly honor and tied for second on the team in total points (96). She now sits just seven goals away from breaking the program's single-season goals record.

Cooper was stellar in net throughout her rookie campaign, breaking the program's single-season record for saves with 316 heading into the postseason. The North Carolina native earned five CWPA Defensive Player of the Week honors this season.

Ruby Hodge led the team in overall scoring, finishing with 37 goals and a program-record 66 assists. She surpassed the previous assist record with her 57th assist just two weeks ago, capping off one of the best offensive seasons in recent memory for the Crimson.

Last year's CWPA Rookie of the Year, Maya O'Dea, earned a Second Team selection after another impressive season. She finished second on the team in goals with 45+ and recorded a career-high 20 assists.

Harvard returns to action on Friday as it opens the CWPA Tournament against Mercyhurst at 4:30 p.m. in Providence.
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Emma Gilbert

#13 Emma Gilbert

CD
5' 9"
Sophomore
Ruby Hodge

#8 Ruby Hodge

AT
5' 8"
Junior
Maya  O

#9 Maya O'Dea

AT
5' 6"
Sophomore
Orli  Cooper

#1A Orli Cooper

GK
6' 2"
First-Year
Niki Piovan

#20 Niki Piovan

D
5' 7"
First-Year

Players Mentioned

Emma Gilbert

#13 Emma Gilbert

5' 9"
Sophomore
CD
Ruby Hodge

#8 Ruby Hodge

5' 8"
Junior
AT
Maya  O

#9 Maya O'Dea

5' 6"
Sophomore
AT
Orli  Cooper

#1A Orli Cooper

6' 2"
First-Year
GK
Niki Piovan

#20 Niki Piovan

5' 7"
First-Year
D