ANN ARBOR, Mich. — University of Michigan water polo head coach Dr. Marcelo Leonardi announced that five student-athletes have signed to join the program and continue school in Ann Arbor in 2019.
The signing class includes Ella Abbott (Corona Del Mar, California), Alex Brown (Clayton, California), Jess Henningsen (Moraga, California), Annie Rankin (Newport Beach, California) and Sophie Tovani (Danville, California).
More information on each signee:
Ella Abbott
• Competes with Corona del Mar Aquatics
• Attends Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach, California
• USA Water Polo All-Academic in 2016-17 and 2017-18
• Three-time Pacific Coast League champions
• CIF Division I regional finalist in 2017
• First team all-league and second team Daily Pilot Dream Team selection in 2017-18
• Received the Coaches Award her freshman and junior seasons
• Competed at the USA Water Polo Junior Olympics 2015-18
• Also a member of the swim team her first two years of high school
• Father, Jim, pitched for the Michigan baseball team from 1985-88, and sister, Maddy, is a senior captain of the Michigan volleyball team
Leonardi on Abbott: “Ella is a smart, savvy player with great vision. She’s a glue player that hold things together. She can play both sides of the pool and shows great maturity and composure. Ella understands what being a good teammate means in our program.”
Alex Brown
• Competes with Diablo Alliance Water Polo Club
• Attends Carondelet High School in Concord, California
• USA Water Polo All-Academic in 2016-17 and 2017-18
• Runner-up at the NCS Division 2 championships her junior year and was named to the all-section first team
• Four-year water polo captain
• Holds the Carondelet single-season block record (302) and career block record (1,066)
• Four-time EBAL all-league selection
• Team MVP as a junior and defensive MVP her first two seasons
• First team All-American at Water Polo Junior Olympics in 2015 and 2017 and honorable mention All-America in 2016 and 2018
• 2017 silver medalist at the Junior Olympics and US Club Championships
• Named Goalkeeper MVP at the 2017 US Club Water Polo Championships
• Also on the basketball team, winning division titles in each of her first three seasons and earning all-league honorable mention in 2017-18
Leonardi on Brown: “Alex is a big presence in the cage. Her positioning is expectational, which cuts off angles a lot in the cage. She’s also very vocal from the cage, which helps command the defense tactically. Alex understands how to communicate to her teammates with respect.”
Jess Henningsen
• Competes with Diablo Alliance Water Polo Club
• Attends Campolindo High School in Moraga, California
• Club team finished second at Junior Olympics in 2017 and fifth in 2018
• Alternate for the 2015 Pac Zone cadet team national championships
• Made the NCS finals in 2015-16 and 2017-18 and the NCS semifinals in 2016-17
• Also a member of the swim team
• Most improved award for swimming her freshman year
• Mother, Andrea, was a member of the Team USA Women’s National water polo team; father, Danny, swam for Brigham Young University; brother, Tennyson, competes for University of California-Davis water polo
Leonardi on Henningsen: “Jess has a high motor. She’s going to create many first-line and second-line counter opportunities. She is going to be able to come in and change the pace of a unit based on her energy level and her explosiveness. She is going to help create a lot of advantages in transition. She understands what it means to be accountable as a part of our program.”
Annie Rankin
• Competes with SoCal Water Polo
• Attends Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach, California
• Member of the 2015 ODP girls developmental national team
• Won a gold medal at the 2017-18 Junior Olympics and Cal Cup State Championships
• Placed fourth at the US Club Championships in 2017-18
• Won the CIF Division 2 Championship as a junior
• Two-time second team All-Sunset League honoree
• Third team All-CIF Division 2 her junior season
• Also a four-year member of the swim team
• Mother, Michele, ran cross country and track & field at University of California-Santa Barbara; father, Michael, played water polo at UCSB; brother, John, competes for UCSB water polo
Leonardi on Rankin: “Annie is a fluid two-way player. She can play on the perimeter or at the center defender position. She is fast and explosive on the counter and has the ability to score the ball. Annie has a very high polo IQ, which keeps her one step ahead of the opposition. Annie brings the leadership skills that we look for in our program.”
Sophie Tovani
• Competes with 680 Drivers Water Polo Association
• Attends San Ramon Valley High School in Danville, California
• Junior Olympics silver medalist in 2018, bronze medalist in 2015
• 2014 J.O. honorable mention All-America
• USA Water Polo All-Academic in 2018
• Made the USA Water Polo Youth Pacific roster in 2018
• Competed at the 2016 USA Water Polo selection camp
• NISCA/Speedo Girls’ All-America in 2017-18
• Kai-Ca-Hi All-America as a junior
• NCS and NorCal champions in 2016-17
• Won three EBAL championships
• Two-time East Bay all-league performer
• EBAL North Bay second team in 2017-18
• JV Defensive Player of the Year in 2015-16
• Also on the swim team
Leonardi on Tovani: “Sophie is a game changer. She can match up defensively with everybody’s best play-makers on both sides of the pool. When given the opportunity she can also score the ball. She is going to be a great two-way player for us. Tovani embodies the culture of our program.”
Release courtesy University of Michigan Athletics Communications
