Edison, NJ – The La Salle women's water polo team had three student-athletes selected to the 2026 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-League Teams, highlighted by freshman attacker Nadya Azzopardi's MAAC Rookie of the Year honor and junior attacker Martina Bonet Saez's selection to the league's first team.
The Explorers' three All-MAAC selections match the most in the program's history.
Azzopardi becomes the first player in program history to be named MAAC Rookie of the Year, following a terrific first season with the Explorers in which she also earned second-team All-MAAC honors. Azzopardi was the only freshman featured on the league's top two teams.
Azzopardi emerged as one of the top rookies in the conference early in the 2026 season. She leads La Salle in goals (53), points (78), and shot percentage (53%) while ranking third on the team in assists (25).
In 17 games this season, Azzopardi recorded nine hat tricks and tallied at least five points in nine different games.
Azzopardi also tallied at least two goals in all eight MAAC games this season, averaging 3.3 goals and 1.5 assists per game during league play.
On March 21 against Mount St. Mary's, Azzopardi erupted for eight goals to break the program's single-game goals record, leading the Explorers to a 12-5 victory.
After being named to the 2026 Preseason All-MAAC Team, Bonet Saez earned first-team All-MAAC honors for the second straight season.
Bonet Saez played in 16 games, recording 34 goals and 28 assists. She is tied for the team-high with 32 steals and led the team with seven blocks.
In MAAC play, Bonet Saez tallied 16 goals, 18 assists, and 19 steals, averaging 2.0 goals, 2.3 assists, and 2.4 steals per game.
Bonet Saez continues to climb in the program's all-time career record book, ranking tied for second in steals (137), fifth in goals (159), seventh in points (242), and 10th in assists (83).
Junior center Samara Eschleman earned third-team All-MAAC honors after scoring 46 goals in 18 regular-season games.
Eschleman recorded 10 hat tricks in 2026, including a season-high five goals in the win against Siena, where she recorded her 150th career goal.
Before arriving at 20th and Olney, Eschleman spent two seasons as a standout player at Saint Francis (PA).
The Explorers also placed 14 student-athletes on the 2026 MAAC All-Academic Team, the third most in the conference.
Martina Bonet Saez, Katelyn Cuthbert, Lauren Ellis, Amanda Fadil, Allie Hollo, Lily Kirby, Paige Mitchell, Andi Moriarity, Sara Quirante Taali, Samantha Richardson, Grace Smith, Ella Tice, and Whitney Wood were all recognized for their hard work in the classroom.
To be eligible for the MAAC All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must have completed two semesters at their institution and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.0 scale.
