Baldoni earns Pacific Coast League’s top honor

Corona del Mar High junior Kate Baldoni has been named Most Valuable Player of the Pacific Coast League girls’ water polo season.

CdM senior Allison Peotter and junior Heather Van Hiel earned first-team All-Pacific Coast League honors, while juniors Victoria Kennedy and Elise Molnar made the second team.

The Sea Kings, who won the Pacific Coast League for the ninth straight year, finished 26-9.

Baldoni, in her first year as starter, made 343 saves in helping the Sea Kings to the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions title, as well as the CIF Southern Section Division I championship game. She was named MVP at Santa Barbara, and co-Most Valuable Goalie at the Irvine Southern California Championships.

She had a season-high 17 saves twice, against Montebello on Jan. 26 and Villa Park on Feb. 1.

Peotter scored 40 goals and had 37 steals for the Sea Kings after coming back from a side injury in late December. Often sparking the CdM counterattack with her sprints toward the goal, she was named to the Irvine Southern California Championships all-tournament team.

Van Hiel was also named all-tournament in Irvine. The only returning varsity starter from a year ago, she scored a team-high 53 goals, adding 45 assists and a team-high 60 steals. Van Hiel also made the all-tournament team at Santa Barbara.

Kennedy, a force for CdM at two meters, had 50 goals and 51 steals. Molnar, who primarily played set defense, had 26 goals, 33 assists and 41 steals.

— From staff reports