VISTA, Calif. – On Thursday, the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) announced its 2023 postseason honors for women's water polo. Five members of Cal State East Bay women's water polo were among the honorees, including Daniela Passoni, Elise Whitworth, Luna Sarmiento, Jordan Jarandson and Rachel Heredia.
 
Passoni earned the highest of the honors announced as she was named 2023 WWPA Player of the Year.
 
Also receiving a standalone award was Whitworth, who was named WWPA Newcomer of the Year.
 
Cal State East Bay head coach Lisa Cooper reflected on the individual accolades garnered by her team. "I am so proud," stated Cooper. "Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and five all-conference selections is a real testament to the entire team."
 
Below are the achievements for each honoree in the pool during the 2023 season.
 
Daniela Passoni – WWPA Player of the Year; WWPA First Team
Passoni protected the net all season for the Pioneers with 336 saves, which was a conference high. She also led the conference in save percentage, goals-against-average and saves in a game. In February, she had her first career shutout in a match against Austin College. Her WWPA First Team selection was the third of her career. Passoni becomes the third Pioneer to be named WWPA Player of the Year, joining Adrien Van Dyke and Auriel Bill.
 
"Dani had an exceptional year and is truly deserving of this award," said Cooper about Passoni's honor. "Her dedication, work ethic and leadership is amazing."
 
Elise Whitworth – WWPA Newcomer of the Year; WWPA All-Freshman Team
Whitworth scored 24 goals and had 11 assists throughout her freshman season with Cal State East Bay.
 
"Elise got better with every game," mentioned Cooper about Whitworth. "She really grew as a freshman and loves to learn. I am excited for the future with her."
 
Luna Sarmiento – WWPA First Team
For the second time in as many years, Sarmiento earned a postseason honor from the WWPA. Her offensive presence was noticed with a team-high 65 goals and 21 assists and earned WWPA Player of the Week honors in the final week of the regular season. In 2022, she was named All-WWPA Honorable Mention.
 
Jordan Jarandson – WWPA Second Team
Jarandson found the net 41 times and added 19 assists. She drew 10 exclusions and had 11 steals in the regular season.
 
Rachel Heredia – WWPA Honorable Mention
With 40 goals, Heredia played an important offensive role for the Pioneers. She scored five goals in a 14-9 win over Cal State Monterey Bay on March 25, as she was named WWPA Player of the Week for March 20-26.
 
Cal State East Bay will play its first round match on Friday in the WWPA Championships against Mercyhurst. The WWPA Championships take place from this coming Friday through Sunday at McKendree Metro Rec Plex in O'Fallon, Illinois.