Courtesy: Indiana Athletics
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—Indiana Women’s Water Polo head coach Taylor Dodson has announced the signing of eight student-athletes during the recent fall National Letter of Intent signing period.
Claire Witting, Grace Hathaway, Kate Rochios, Olivia Stark, Portia Sasser, Sarah Lolli, Skylar Kidd and Sophia Sollie all signed their NLI’s and will be on campus for the 2021 season.
Dodson Quote: “Signing this class is a special moment for our program. Each student athlete will bring an excellent mix of talent, experience, and grit to help propel us forward. I cannot wait for them to join us here in Bloomington.”
Claire Witting | Utility | East Grand Rapids, Mich. | East Grand Rapids High School
Led team in overall goals, assists, steals, and drawn exclusions… Team captain during junior and senior seasons… All-American Water Polo Honorable Mention in 2019… All-State First Team in 2019… State Championship All-Tournament First Team in 2019…All-American Swimming in 2019.
Witting Quote: “During the recruitment process, I was drawn to Indiana University, the campus, the athletic culture, and the coaching staff. IU rose to the top of my list with their commitment to my athletic and academic goals. I am thrilled to join the IU Women’s Water Polo Family.”
Dodson Quote: “Claire’s size and speed are what initially drew us to her. Getting to know her drive as a student athlete and the time she puts into her improvement made it clear she had to be a Hoosier. She has a bright future here.”
Grace Hathaway | Attacker | Los Angeles, Calif. | Agoura High School
Coastal Canyon League champions in 2020… Academic All-America in 2019 and 2020… Academic Excellence Award in 2018 and 2019… Finished eighth in the 2019 16U Platinum Division Junior Olympics… three varsity letters in water polo and four varsity letters in swimming.
Hathaway Quote: “I am beyond thrilled to be signing with Indiana. I know I am going to have an amazing four years and I am so excited to be living in such a beautiful place. I can’t wait to be part of such a welcoming family and be with my coaches and teammates! Happy to be a Hoosier!”
Dodson Quote: “Grace is a dynamic, aggressive player who always puts team play first. While recruiting Grace I saw her attack whatever she was doing, all while having a smile on her face. Grace is loved and respected by all of her coaches and teammates and I know it will be the same for her as a Hoosier.”
Kate Rochios | Utility | Moraga, Calif. | Miramonte High School
Finished in the top four in NorCal all four seasons… Finished first place in open division of NCS her freshman season… Finished first place in CIF her freshman season… Received four varsity letters in water polo… Club team finished in the top 12 of the Platinum Division at the Junior Olympics every year.
Rochios Quote: “I am so excited to sign and be a part of the Indiana Water Polo family. Talking to the coaches and team has made me feel right at home. I can’t wait to be in Bloomington!”
Dodson Quote: “As a lefty, Kate immediately stood out to me. Her ability to attack while seeing the whole pool kept my attention. Kate comes from competitive club and high school teams that know how to win big games. In her years at IU, Kate will bring that experience to help us win big games as well.”
Olivia Stark | Attacker | Danville, Calif. | Monte Vista High School
Named to NISCA All-America Fourth Team in 2019 and 2020… Named to All-EBAL First Team in 2019… Named a team captain of her high school team…Finished first in EBAL in 2017 and second in both 2018 and 2019… finished first with her club team at the 2019 18U Junior Olympics… Named a USAWP Academic All-American twice.
Stark Quote: “During the recruiting process, my conversations with the coaches and players really made IU feel like the perfect fit for me. I’m super stoked to play water polo at IU and plan on majoring in Exercise Science. Go Hoosiers!”
Dodson Quote: “Olivia is a very high-achieving student-athlete with big goals. She, like the rest of her class, is a fierce competitor who puts the team’s success first. We know Olivia will have an immediate impact on our program in and out of the pool.”
Portia Sasser | Utility | Walnut Creek, Calif. | Las Lomas High School
Led team in goals and assists… Las Lomas High School No. 2 all-time leader in assists with 51… Named to Diablo Athletic League All-League Second Team in 2019… Earned four varsity letters in water polo… Named a team captain in both 2019 and 2020.
Sasser Quote: “IU felt like a welcoming home from the beginning. All of the coaches and players were honest and supportive, making the team feel like a family. I can’t wait to join a rising team full of strong women!”
Dodson Quote: “Throughout the recruiting process, we knew more and more that Portia was a great fit for our Hoosier family. Portia is extremely competitive and commands attention when she plays. Her effort results in making big offensive and defensive plays, which will transition nicely to our game. She is bought into our goals of becoming a national power and we cannot wait for her to get to campus.”
Sarah Lolli | Attacker | Loveland, Ohio | Loveland High School
Earned 2020 Academic All-America Honors… Second-Team All-State honors in 2019… Ohio State Champions in 2018… Named a team captain in both 2019 and 2020… Won the 2018 Great Lakes Division Championship with her club team.
Lolli Quote: “Choosing IU was a simple decision. I fell in love with Bloomington, the academic opportunities, the coaching staff, and the team’s culture. I look forward to growing both as a player and person.”
Dodson Quote: “Sarah Lolli will bring great effort and attitude to our team. She is an extremely athletic player, with finesse, power and speed. We see Sarah making waves on our team and continuously pushing the program forward.”
Skylar Kidd | Attacker | Laguna Beach, Calif. | Laguna Beach High School
Back-to-back CIF Southern Division I titles… Junior Olympics Champions in 2019… U.S. Club Championships in 2019… OLU Tournament MVP in 2019.
Kidd Quote: “I am so excited to come to Indiana next year, and I can’t wait to be part of the Hoosier family. I look forward to playing with such an inspiring and close bonded team. I am pumped to spend the next four years on a beautiful campus, and experiencing the Indiana lifestyle.”
Dodson Quote: “Skylar has been on winning teams. Plain and simple, she knows what it takes, in and out of the pool, to create and sustain winning at a high level. We are thrilled for Skylar to join our program as we strive to compete every day and grow our success. Her competitive spirit in training, paired with her team-first attitude is a perfect fit with our team.”
Sophia Sollie | Center | Murrieta, Calif. | Murrieta Valley High School
Named to All-League First Team three times… Participated in 2019 ODP Futures Budapest… Played with ODP Cadet National Team… Named to All-Area First Team three times… Named to SoCal All-Varsity Team three times… Earned four varsity letters in both water polo and swimming.
Sollie Quote: “I never pictured myself going to college away from the ocean, but the first time I saw IU I fell in love with the campus and everything it has to offer. The signing process was pretty easy because the coaches really went out of their way to talk to me and make sure my family and I were well, especially during quarantine. I can’t wait to see what my future at Indiana will be like.”
Dodson Quote: “Sophia was the first athlete committed in this class and we were so happy she was. Her commitment to work was obvious in our conversations and when seeing her play. When COVID-19 caused practices to shut down, she was sent us drills and workouts from her backyard pool. Sophia is another one in this group who is excited about what we are building and wants to help us make history. Our team is made better with her on the roster, in more ways than one.”
