Women’s water polo finishes fourth at inaugural NAIA Finals; Larwood earns MVP honors

Cal Maritime-UC Merced Box Score — Third Place Game
 

MERCED, Calif. – Even though Cal Maritime played shorthanded all weekend long — it only had one sub available for all five matches at the inaugural NAIA Women's Water Polo Finals — it still out-shot UC Merced, 29-26, in Sunday's Third Place Match at UC Merced Aquatics Center in Merced, California.

Even with their heavy workload for the weekend, the Keelhaulers still drew four power play opportunities and saw four players score throughout the team's final match of the weekend. Olivia Larwood scored early in the second period, Meghan King followed suit nearly 40 seconds later with a goal of her own, Meghan Abbott recorded CSUM's first goal of the second half two-plus minutes after action resumed, Ashlinn McGovern found the back of the cage with one minute and 42 seconds left in the third period, and Abbott scored again with 10 seconds left in the game, but UC Merced ended up with the win by scoring the first seven goals  and maintained that cushion to defeat the Keelhaulers, 18-5.

Abbott and King led the team with nine and eight shots, respectively, with Larwood responsible for  seven of Cal Maritime's 10 steals.

Shortly after the tournament concluded, officials announced its list of Team MVPs, an honor earned by Larwood for the Keelhaulers. 

Cal Maritime will now have nearly two weeks to prep for its final tournament of the season, the CWPA Championship, hosted by Saint Mary's. Action in Moraga will begin on Saturday, April 15, and conclude the following day.

UC Merced 18, Cal Maritime 5 — Third Place Match

Cal Maritime Scoring
Abbott 2, Larwood 1, King 1, McGovern 1

UC Merced Scoring
Luna 6, Cruz 3, Kimmel 3, Martinez 2, Stokes 2, Kissinger 1, Villalta Valle 1