Courtesy: Collegiate Water Polo Association
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Michigan water polo program announced the addition of University of California-Davis graduate Emily Byrne. Byrne will enroll in the Ross School of Business Master of Management program and join the Wolverines for the 2020-21 academic year.
“We are excited to welcome Emily to Team 21,” said head coach Dr. Marcelo Leonardi. “She will be our program’s first graduate transfer. Emily will be a great addition to our team. She brings a wealth of experience from her playing days at UC-Davis and the Big West Conference.”
Byrne played three seasons at UC-Davis and graduated this year with an economics degree, minoring in history and professional writing. She was a two-time Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) All-America honorable mention selection and earned Big West honorable mention as a junior. Byrne played in 80 games with 59 goals, 39 assists, 62 steals and 168 drawn exclusions — which ranked fifth in school history.
“She is a versatile, physical player with a strong work ethic, and a desire to compete in our program,” said Leonardi. “She does an exceptional job of gaining inside water advantage, leading to scoring opportunities which include drawing ejections or penalties in the frontcourt offense. She is also explosive on the counter attack and has the ability to match up with other playmakers on the defensive end. She will make a big impact in our offensive schemes as well as provide depth in different units. We are proud that the University of Michigan and our water polo program can provide graduate transfers the opportunity to continue education and water polo careers.”
Byrne was named to the ACWPC All-Academic team twice and was a two-time Big West All-Academic honoree. Prior to playing three seasons at UC-Davis, she was a freshman at Loyola Marymount University in 2016, playing in 27 games with 23 goals and eight assists. A native of Orinda, Calif., Byrne continued her family legacy in collegiate water polo, playing with her older sister, Erin, at LMU after her father, Ciaran, played at the University of California in the 1980s.
