Women's Water Polo | December 19, 2022

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The La Salle women's water polo team will hit the pool this spring with seven fresh faces to the squad.
 
Ella Tice, Whitney Wood, Lucy Willis, Grace Smith, Paige Mitchell, Claire Durham and Allie Hollo will all don the Blue & Gold this season for the Explorers.
 
"The addition of these seven new student-athletes shows the reach that La Salle water polo has worldwide. It is a very diverse class with representation from Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kentucky," said head coach James Wolff. "I am proud of their commitment to excellence in the pool and the classroom. This group holds themselves to the highest standards in training and displays the new pillars of the program, character, community, commitment, consistency and confidence. I couldn't ask for a better group of athletes to join me in my first year here at La Salle with the ultimate goal of winning a MAAC Championship!"
 
ELLA TICE
Hometown: Shillington, Pennsylvania
High School: Governor Mifflin
Awards & Accomplishments: Ended senior year with 113 goals and 24 assists to earn First Team All-State and First Team All-Conference. Helped lead her team to a 16-11 overall record and to a seventh-place finish at the State Championships. Named to the All-Berks team her senior season. Awarded First Team All-Conference junior year with 22 goals and 20 assists and Second Team All-Conference sophomore year with eight goals and seven assists.
Why I chose La Salle: "I chose La Salle because it has everything I am looking for. It has my intended major, nursing, along with my favorite sport, water polo. I loved the campus and the atmosphere. It is a good distance from home. It is a perfect fit."
Thoughts from head coach James Wolff: "Ella is a talented outside shooter who throws the ball with pace. I look forward to developing her into a dominate shooter on our extra-man attacks."
 
WHITNEY WOOD
Hometown: Southlake, Texas
High School: Carroll Senior
Awards & Accomplishments: TISCA State Runner up in 2019, 2021 and 2022. Named NISCA Sixth Team All-American, First Team All-Region and First Team All-State during her senior season. Served as the Varsity Water Polo Captain and voted team MVP. Earned National Junior Olympic All-American Honorable mention in 2021. Earned four varsity letters in water polo and eight varsity letters altogether.
Why I chose La Salle: "I wanted a school that I could receive a great education, but a small school so that I would have more accessible resources to help get me through classes and athletics."
Thoughts from head coach James Wolff: "Whitney is an experienced utility player who can defend all positions. Her versatility will allow the coaching staff to position her anywhere in the pool."
 
LUCY WILLIS
Hometown: Fort Thomas, Kentucky
High School: Highlands
Awards & Accomplishments: Varsity starter in 10^th, 11^th and 12^th grade. Recipient of the Jose Cerda Award and the Wendy's High School Heisman Award in 2021, as well as the U.S. Marine Distinguished Athlete Award in 2022. Named All-Ohio Third Team in 2021. Received All-American Academic recognition in 2022. Helped team to number one in the region and second in the state during her senior season.
Why I chose La Salle: "I chose La Salle because of the team chemistry and location. When I visited La Salle, I was so excited to see how the team worked so well with each other and how close the city was. I grew up in Kentucky, but I was super close to Cincinnati, so moving to another big city felt like the right move."
Thoughts from head coach James Wolff: "This student-athlete is the definition of character that we want in our program. Coming from Kentucky, where water polo isn't very popular, she had to develop herself to get to this level. Her commitment to excellence is what we are looking for in all our players."
 
GRACE SMITH
Hometown: Houston, Texas
High School: Clear Creek
Awards & Accomplishments: Four-year varsity water polo starter and three-year varsity swim member. Named First Team All-District, First Team All-Region and First Team All-State. Earned Region MVP and NISCA All-America Honorable Mention. Helped her team to a 12^th-place finish at states during her senior campaign and a tied for fifth-place finish during her junior year.
Why I chose La Salle: "I chose La Salle for the level of competition and for the location. I get to experience living not only in another state but another city."
Thoughts from head coach James Wolff: "Grace is one of the most athletic players we currently have in the program. She is a dynamic attacker who can create in transition and front court. She has incredible upside and the coaching staff is excited to see her development at the Division I level."
 
PAIGE MITCHELL
Hometown: Lansdale, Pennsylvania
High School: North Penn
Awards & Accomplishments: Named North Penn High School's water polo MVP and The Reporter Water Polo Player of the Year during her senior season. Won North Penn's Triangle Clube of Montgomery County Scholarship and the NPHS Athletic Department Adversity Award. Named Third Team All-American and served as team captain. Earned a spot on the Suburban One League Girl's Water Polo First Team All-League during her senior season. Chosen for Pennsylvania First Team All-State 2021 & 2020 and Freshman All State Team 2018. Competed at the Pennsylvania State Water Polo Championships and the Junior Olympics in 2019 and 2022.
Why I chose La Salle: "I chose La Salle because it had every piece to the puzzle I was looking to complete. I was looking to compete. I felt so welcomed by everyone the second I got there and I liked how that reminded me of the community where I currently live. I also was very impressed by the school of business and knew that I wanted to be a part of their marketing program. The final push was that I had the opportunity to play for a strong Division I team with a very dedicated and kind group of girls."
Thoughts from head coach James Wolff: "Paige is a strong center forward who likes to create advantages by using her quickness. Paige has a unique ability to score quickly before the defender has a chance to play the ball."
 
CLAIRE DURHAM
Hometown: Napoleon, Ohio
High School: Napoleon
Awards & Accomplishments: Earned the MVP Award as well as First Team All-Ohio, First Team State Tournament and First Team Regional Tournament during her freshman campaign. Named First Team All-Ohio during her junior campaign. Earned four varsity letters in water polo and 14 total varsity letters.
Why I chose La Salle: "I chose La Salle for the opportunity to play Division I water polo, to be an art history major and experience life in the city."
Thoughts from head coach James Wolff: "Claire is a physically gifted center who enjoys the physical contact at the center position. With my background in officiating, I hope to shape her ability to control the center of the pool."
 
ALLIE HOLLO
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio
High School: Bishop Fenwick
Awards & Accomplishments: Served as the team captain her senior season leading the team with 80 goals, 33 assists, 48 steals and 69 exclusions earned. Helped team to second-place at State Championships. Named All-Ohio Player of the Year, State Tournament First Team and Regional Tournament First Team in 2021. Team finished third in the state during junior season. Earned a spot on the All-Ohio Third Team.
Why I chose La Salle: "La Salle gives me the opportunity to excel both academically and in the pool while having a great campus environment in a location I was looking for. La Salle gives me the opportunity to become the best version of myself."
Thoughts from head coach James Wolff: "Allie is a hard-worker who has incredible upside! Her versatility playing on the right side puts her in a position to attack the cage while keeping center in her vision."