Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Water Polo Announces Addition of Three Recruits for 2007
5/16/2006 8:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
May 16, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell head women's water polo coach John Zeigler announced Tuesday the addition of three student-athletes who will compete for the Bison next spring. The members of the Class of 2010 will look to help the Bison continue their winning trend, which has featured a program-record 23 victories each of the last two seasons.
Alison Carter (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor), Shana Palencia (Glendale, Calif./Hoover) and Valentina Rozas (Pico Rivera, Calif./El Rancho) comprise the class, which is made up exclusively of student-athletes from California.
"With only one senior graduating in 2006, the Class of 2010 did not need to be large in numbers, but rather strong in athleticism and talent," explained Zeigler. "The roles we fill with these three players are significant. All three have tremendous potential to impact our squad and each brings different attributes to the team and Bucknell University."
Carter is a goalie who helped her Newport Harbor High School team, one of the most accomplished programs in the nation, to a 26-4 record and a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) championship as a senior.
"Alison has size and fundamentals and seems to be a player ready to explode once she reaches the collegiate level," commented Zeigler. "Playing on such a talented high school team she often sat behind the first goalie and was overlooked in recruiting despite her obvious potential and experience."
Palencia earned three letters in water polo, and four in swimming, at Hoover High School. The water polo team's most valuable player the last three years, she was named first-team All-Area and All-Pacific League each of the last two seasons. Palencia, who captained the squad as both a junior and senior, was also second-team All-Pacific League as a sophomore. In addition to her water polo accolades, Palencia was a two-year captain of the swimming team and earned second-team All-Pacific League honors four consecutive years.
"Shana comes to Bucknell with impressive statistics from her high school program," said Zeigler. "She is a big goal scorer, but is a tenacious defender at the same time. As a driver, she has good speed and game sense. I expect her to flourish in our program as she has great potential. Shana has played high-level club water polo with El Rancho and also played for the Burbank club team under (Bucknell assistant) Coach (John) Abdou last summer."
Rozas, a three-year letterwinner in water polo and swimming, was her team's most valuable player each of the last three years. A team captain as a senior, she earned All-League, All-CIF and All-America honors during her tenure in high school. A native of Chile, Rozas played on the same El Rancho club team as Palencia.
"Valentina is a versatile player who brings remarkable game experience for her age," extolled Zeigler. "Her exact role will be determined this fall, but she is expected to serve as a center-forward and utility player to utilize her strong shot and inside game. She is no stranger to tough, physical water polo and her transition to the college game should be quick. Another player who has played high-level water polo with El Rancho, she should make an immediate impact on our program.
Amanda Nogic is the lone senior graduating from Bucknell's 2006 squad that posted a 23-9 record to tie for the most wins in program history.
Bucknell Women's Water Polo Recruiting Class
Alison Carter - Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor
Shana Palencia - Glendale, Calif./Hoover
Valentina Rozas - Pico Rivera, Calif./El Rancho
