Woodland, Calif.----- San Jose State University freshman Olga Descalzi Portell was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) women's water polo "Newcomer of the Week" for matching a personal best single-match scoring high of five goals in an 11-7 non-conference win over Santa Clara.
The freshman from Terrassa, Spain needed only six shots to help the Spartans even their season record to 4-4. Her goal scoring in the win was spread throughout each of the four quarters of the match. Descalzi Portell also was credited with a pair of assists – the first one in the second quarter that broke a 3-3 tie and gave San Jose State the lead for good.
She became the first San Jose State freshman since the 2014 season to score five goals in a game at least twice in the same season.
Descalzi leads the Spartans in scoring with 20 goals in eight matches. She is tied with UCLA's Maddie Musselman for third in the conference in goals scored per match at 2.50. Only nine MPSF players are scoring at a rate of more than 2.00 per match heading into the weekend's action.
San Jose State opens MPSF play Friday, taking on #1-ranked USC in Los Angeles, Friday, March 8, in a 12:30 p.m. (PT) that will be streamed on the Pac-12 Network. The Spartans conclude a weekend of action, Saturday, March 9, at the Cal Baptist Invitational taking on host Cal Baptist at 9:00 a.m. and Concordia University at Noon.