SAN DIEGO – Claudia Valdes and Mimi Stoupas, members of the No. 23-ranked San Diego State water polo team, have earned All-Golden Coast Conference designation in a vote by the league's eight head coaches. The announcement was made on Tuesday by the conference office.
Valdes is a first-team All-Golden Coast Conference (GCC) performer, while Stoupas has been named honorable mention All-GCC and a member of the All- Freshman Team.
A native of Madrid, Spain, Valdes' 70 goals lead San Diego State and rank third in the conference. She is the first Aztec to score at least 70 goals in a season since Amber Pezzolla finished the 2013 campaign with 71. In addition to her goal scoring prowess, the attacker tops the team in points (106), steals (35), blocks (16) and shots (134), and is second in assists (36) and shot percentage (.522). Among GCC performers, she leads the league in blocks, ranks second in points, sixth in steals and seventh in assists.
Valdes, a sophomore, has 15 hat tricks in 29 games, including four in the team's seven conference games, and has scored multiple goals in 22 contests.
Stoupas, who has appeared in 29 games as well, ranks second on the squad with 34 goals on 59 shots. She leads the team in shot percentage (.542) as well as ejections drawn (43). In addition, the freshman center from Melbourne, Australia, has 10 steals and has assisted on two goals.
She has scored multiple goals in 10 games, including four hat tricks and has had 12 contests with multiple ejections drawn, including a season-best five vs. No. 22 CSUN.
Stoupas is the ninth Aztec in as many years to be included on the conference's all-freshman team while Valdes garner's first-team distinction for the first time in her college career and represents SDSU with its 17th first team honor in its 11 years in the league.
San Diego State is the 4-seed in this weekend's GCC Championship Tournament at Sullivan Aquatic Center in Santa Clara, Calif., and will take on the 5-seed California Baptist on Friday, April 26 at 2 p.m. PT.