Cortney Collyer was named the MVP of the Big West Tournament.
Former Santa Barbara High star Cortney Collyer enjoyed a wonderful homecoming weekend.
Returning to the place where she learned the game, Collyer scored four goals to lead UC Irvine past Long Beach State 11-5 in the championship game of the Big West women’s water polo tournament Sunday at UCSB, earning the Anteaters an automatic NCAA Tournament berth.
Collyer, a senior, was named the tournament MVP after scoring six goals in the tournament and playing solid defense.
Collyer helped the Anteaters take a 3-1 lead with a great individual effort. With her team on the power play, she fired a shot of the cross bar. Long Beach got the ball, but Collyer stole it back and scored.
She scored the first goal of the second quarter to put the Anteaters up 4-1.
The title is the third straight for UC Irvine.
In the third-place game, UC Davis beat Cal State Northridge 9-7.
UCSB lost to Pacific 6-4 in the fifth-place game.
