Indiana University Athletics
Water Polo Adds Five to 2017 Signing Class
11/13/2016 9:36:00 PM | Women's Water Polo
Powell, Williams to play in the 2017 season
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana head coach Ryan Castle unveiled his first five signings for the 2017 year on Thursday. Carlie Crumbaugh (Moraga, Calif.), Juli Hilovsky (Riverside, Calif.), Kate Nitzberg (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), Emily Powell (Brisbane, Australia), and Mollie Williams (Sydney, Australia) make up the incoming Hoosiers over the next calendar year. Powell and Williams, Indiana's pair of signees from Australia, are expected to enroll at semester take part in the upcoming 2017 season.
"This class of student athletes is going to add immensely to our roster as soon as they get onto campus," Castle said. "They are all fierce competitors and very dedicated to water polo, who will give us a very solid foundation for the future of our program."
The group will be the first class signed by Castle in his tenure, after becoming Indiana's head coach in July. Those arriving next fall will benefit from the instruction of a talented 2018 graduating class, and the freshman scheduled to arrive in January will provide an immediate impact as the Hoosiers aim for a fourth consecutive CWPA Championship appearance.
Without further introduction, here are the newcomers to the #IUWP family:
CARLIE CRUMBAUGH | Utility
High School (Campolindo): Carlie Crumbaugh comes to Bloomington from the Bay Area, where she played three varsity seasons under head coach Kim Everist at Campolindo High School. Carlie was a North Coast Section Scholar Athlete all four years with the team, and picked up a Junior Varsity MVP honor her first year. With Campolindo, Carlie won the North Coast Section Championship in 2014 with a second place finish in 2015 and third place in 2016. The Cougars also won the DFAL Championship in 2014. In addition to water polo, Carlie was a varsity swimmer at Campolindo.
Club (Lamorinda WPC/Diablo Alliance WPC): Carlie played for both Diablo Alliance and Lamorinda during her prep career. From 2014 to 2016, Carlie received three USA Water Polo Academic All-American honors and three years in the Olympic Development program. In three years with the National Junior Olympics "A" team, Carlie achieved second place (Gold Division) in 2014, second place (Classic Division) in 2015, and 19th place (Championship Division) in 2016. Most recently, Carlie made the Pac/Central Zone team for the 2016 National Championships.
From Coach Castle: "Carlie is a versatile team player who will contribute on both sides of the ball for the team. She is really somebody who can help s from the start, because she's a grinder. She hails from one of the powerhouse high school teams in the NorCal area under the expert tutelage of her coaches, Kim Everist and Catherine Arroyo."
JULI HILOVSKY | Driver
High School (Riverside Polytechnic): Juli Hilovsky hails from Riverside, where she is amidst her fourth year at Riverside Polytechnic. The driver from the Inland Empire has received numerous honors, including All-League first team recognition and team MVP accolades as a water polo player and swimmer. With the Bears, Juli earned USA Water Polo Academic All-American honors in her sophomore and junior year, and was named a high honors athlete for water polo and swimming. The Bears reached the CIF Finals this season.
Juli is a prolific swimmer as well. She finished third in the CIF Finals' 500 freestyle race and eighth in the 50 freestyle race, which speaks to her swimming strength at endurance and in quick bursts. Juli broke school records for 200 and 500 freestyle times, both of which stood for 25 years.
Club (CHAWP): Juli's club play occurred under the watchful eye of Mike Sattler and Gareth Pandy at CHAWP water polo club. The club competed fiercely at the 2016 Junior Olympics, coming away with a third place finish.
From Coach Castle: "Juli is an explosive athlete who will make an impact all over the pool. As a driver there are very few girls in the nation with her type of speed. She has constant movement and is a great water polo thinker. She's also very reliable under pressure."
KATE NITZBERG | Goalkeeper
High School (Mira Costa): Kate Nitzberg comes to IU from one of the nation's top high schools, Mira Costa High School in the South Bay of Los Angeles County. She's completed three varsity seasons with the Mustangs under head coach John Reichardt. Kate Was a team MVP her freshman season and the most improved player as a sophomore, with scholar-athlete awards in both seasons. She made the Bay League's All-League first team and The Daily Breeze's All-Area second team. The Mustangs have reached the CIF finals in Kate's first three seasons, taking the Bay League Championship last year.
Club (Huntington Beach WPC): Kate has taken her talents to the club level with Huntington Beach water polo club, coached by club director Mark Canner. The club's 18U girl's team achieved a 15th place finish at the 2016 Junior Olympics.
From Coach Castle: "Kate will bring a lot of stability to our goalkeeper position. She has all the physical attributes, fundamentals and competitiveness to become a great Hoosier. She will learn and develop a lot behind Jess Gaudreault her freshmen year, and make our defense more competitive."
EMILY POWELL | Driver
From Coach Castle: "Emily is a fast and explosive driver who sees the whole pool really well. She will bring a lot of speed to our counter attack, and a lot of movement to our driving game. She is a great passer and setup player. Defensively, she is very reliable and competitive."
MOLLIE WILLIAMS | 2-Meter
High School (Meriden): Mollie Williams is wrapping up a stellar career at Meriden School in Sydney. She was Meriden's leading scorer in 2015, and finished the 2016 State Championships as the tournament's top goal scorer. Mollie claimed team MVP honors from 2012-2016, and helped the team reach IGSSA Championships in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Mollie was a nominee for the 2016 Pierre De Coubertin award, given to recipients who have competed in at least three sports while demonstrating initiative, teamwork, sportsmanship, and fair play.
Club (Cronulla): Mollie's club, Cronulla WPC, is one of the top clubs in New South Wales. Her squad was named Cronulla's team of the year from 2013 to 2016 after picking up a National League bronze medal in 2015, a silver medal at the U18 National Championships, and National and Metropolitan Championships in 2015 and 2016. She also trained in the Austrailian youth system in 2014 and 2015, and in the New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) from 2013 to 2016.
From Coach Castle: "Mollie is an experienced and competitive defender who will increase our depth and expand our outside shooting and driving options on offense. Her experience with the Australian and New South Wales youth systems will improve our team water polo IQ. I expect her to combine really well with a lot of our athletes and make everybody around her better."
Stay tuned for high school and club career information from Emily Powell…
"This class of student athletes is going to add immensely to our roster as soon as they get onto campus," Castle said. "They are all fierce competitors and very dedicated to water polo, who will give us a very solid foundation for the future of our program."
The group will be the first class signed by Castle in his tenure, after becoming Indiana's head coach in July. Those arriving next fall will benefit from the instruction of a talented 2018 graduating class, and the freshman scheduled to arrive in January will provide an immediate impact as the Hoosiers aim for a fourth consecutive CWPA Championship appearance.
Without further introduction, here are the newcomers to the #IUWP family:
CARLIE CRUMBAUGH | Utility
High School (Campolindo): Carlie Crumbaugh comes to Bloomington from the Bay Area, where she played three varsity seasons under head coach Kim Everist at Campolindo High School. Carlie was a North Coast Section Scholar Athlete all four years with the team, and picked up a Junior Varsity MVP honor her first year. With Campolindo, Carlie won the North Coast Section Championship in 2014 with a second place finish in 2015 and third place in 2016. The Cougars also won the DFAL Championship in 2014. In addition to water polo, Carlie was a varsity swimmer at Campolindo.
Club (Lamorinda WPC/Diablo Alliance WPC): Carlie played for both Diablo Alliance and Lamorinda during her prep career. From 2014 to 2016, Carlie received three USA Water Polo Academic All-American honors and three years in the Olympic Development program. In three years with the National Junior Olympics "A" team, Carlie achieved second place (Gold Division) in 2014, second place (Classic Division) in 2015, and 19th place (Championship Division) in 2016. Most recently, Carlie made the Pac/Central Zone team for the 2016 National Championships.
From Coach Castle: "Carlie is a versatile team player who will contribute on both sides of the ball for the team. She is really somebody who can help s from the start, because she's a grinder. She hails from one of the powerhouse high school teams in the NorCal area under the expert tutelage of her coaches, Kim Everist and Catherine Arroyo."
JULI HILOVSKY | Driver
High School (Riverside Polytechnic): Juli Hilovsky hails from Riverside, where she is amidst her fourth year at Riverside Polytechnic. The driver from the Inland Empire has received numerous honors, including All-League first team recognition and team MVP accolades as a water polo player and swimmer. With the Bears, Juli earned USA Water Polo Academic All-American honors in her sophomore and junior year, and was named a high honors athlete for water polo and swimming. The Bears reached the CIF Finals this season.
Juli is a prolific swimmer as well. She finished third in the CIF Finals' 500 freestyle race and eighth in the 50 freestyle race, which speaks to her swimming strength at endurance and in quick bursts. Juli broke school records for 200 and 500 freestyle times, both of which stood for 25 years.
Club (CHAWP): Juli's club play occurred under the watchful eye of Mike Sattler and Gareth Pandy at CHAWP water polo club. The club competed fiercely at the 2016 Junior Olympics, coming away with a third place finish.
From Coach Castle: "Juli is an explosive athlete who will make an impact all over the pool. As a driver there are very few girls in the nation with her type of speed. She has constant movement and is a great water polo thinker. She's also very reliable under pressure."
KATE NITZBERG | Goalkeeper
High School (Mira Costa): Kate Nitzberg comes to IU from one of the nation's top high schools, Mira Costa High School in the South Bay of Los Angeles County. She's completed three varsity seasons with the Mustangs under head coach John Reichardt. Kate Was a team MVP her freshman season and the most improved player as a sophomore, with scholar-athlete awards in both seasons. She made the Bay League's All-League first team and The Daily Breeze's All-Area second team. The Mustangs have reached the CIF finals in Kate's first three seasons, taking the Bay League Championship last year.
Club (Huntington Beach WPC): Kate has taken her talents to the club level with Huntington Beach water polo club, coached by club director Mark Canner. The club's 18U girl's team achieved a 15th place finish at the 2016 Junior Olympics.
From Coach Castle: "Kate will bring a lot of stability to our goalkeeper position. She has all the physical attributes, fundamentals and competitiveness to become a great Hoosier. She will learn and develop a lot behind Jess Gaudreault her freshmen year, and make our defense more competitive."
EMILY POWELL | Driver
From Coach Castle: "Emily is a fast and explosive driver who sees the whole pool really well. She will bring a lot of speed to our counter attack, and a lot of movement to our driving game. She is a great passer and setup player. Defensively, she is very reliable and competitive."
MOLLIE WILLIAMS | 2-Meter
High School (Meriden): Mollie Williams is wrapping up a stellar career at Meriden School in Sydney. She was Meriden's leading scorer in 2015, and finished the 2016 State Championships as the tournament's top goal scorer. Mollie claimed team MVP honors from 2012-2016, and helped the team reach IGSSA Championships in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Mollie was a nominee for the 2016 Pierre De Coubertin award, given to recipients who have competed in at least three sports while demonstrating initiative, teamwork, sportsmanship, and fair play.
Club (Cronulla): Mollie's club, Cronulla WPC, is one of the top clubs in New South Wales. Her squad was named Cronulla's team of the year from 2013 to 2016 after picking up a National League bronze medal in 2015, a silver medal at the U18 National Championships, and National and Metropolitan Championships in 2015 and 2016. She also trained in the Austrailian youth system in 2014 and 2015, and in the New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) from 2013 to 2016.
From Coach Castle: "Mollie is an experienced and competitive defender who will increase our depth and expand our outside shooting and driving options on offense. Her experience with the Australian and New South Wales youth systems will improve our team water polo IQ. I expect her to combine really well with a lot of our athletes and make everybody around her better."
Stay tuned for high school and club career information from Emily Powell…
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