Bucknell University Athletics
Bison Women's Water Polo's Sunday, Heim and Valdes Named All-Conference
4/24/2014 4:15:00 PM | Women's Water Polo
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell women's water polo team has its most all-conference selections since 2010. The CWPA announced the All-Southern Division Teams on Thursday and Bison Hannah Sunday (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley), Rena Heim (Mohnton, Pa./Governor Mifflin) and Julianne Valdes (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep) were honored. Sunday landed on the first team, while Heim and Valdes were second-team choices. It is the 11th consecutive year Bucknell has had at least one all-conference selection and the three honorees is its most since four Bison were cited in 2010.
It is the first career postseason honor for Sunday, a sophomore center, and Heim, a senior goalie. This is the third straight second-team selection for Valdes.
Sunday earned her first-team nod thanks in large part to her ability to draw ejections. Her 98 ejections drawn are a new program single-season record, breaking the seven-year-old standard held by Meagan Gins. Sunday now ranks sixth on the career ledger with 147 ejections drawn in 51 career games.
The first Bucknell player to earn first-team all-conference honors since Kandis Canonica in 2011, Sunday ranks second on the team in goals (30) this year, while her 35 points place her fourth. Her 66 goals over the last two years are second to Valdes' 72 over the same span.
A three-year starter, Heim is the first Bison goalie to be named all-conference since Alison Carter in 2010. She is on the verge of her third straight 200-save campaign and her 859 career stops rank third in program history. Heim's .520 save percentage this season is a career-best figure.
Heim has totaled 10 double-figure save performances this year and has started 83 of the last 84 games in cage.
Valdes is Bucknell's first three-time all-conference selection since Canonica was honored four years in a row from 2008 to 2011. She enters this weekend's CWPA Championship ranked fifth on Bucknell's career points list (300), sixth in goals (176) and tied for fifth in assists (124). She leads this year's team with 35 goals and 59 points.
A four-year starter, Valdes has also drawn 15 ejections and has 22 steals this season. She has eight games this season with at least four points.
Sunday, Heim and Valdes and the rest of the Bison will be hosting the CWPA Championship this weekend in Kinney Natatorium. Sixth-seeded Bucknell (12-12) opens the three-day tournament Friday at 3 p.m. vs. third-seeded Hartwick.
