STANFORD, Calif. – Incoming freshmen Chloe Harbilas an Thea Walsh were named to the United States roster for the upcoming FINA Youth World Championship in Belgrade, Serbia.
Team USA opens play against Kazakhstan on August 27 before taking on Argentina and Hungary to close out group play. Medals will be awarded September 2. All the action is expected to stream live on FINA TV and can be accessed at FINATV.live. The United States finished fifth at the event in 2016.
Harbilas, a first-team All-CIF attacker from Corona del Mar, scored 115 goals to go along with 25 assists and 63 steals during her senior season in leading the Sea Queens to a 22-8 record. A two-time Pacific Coast League MVP, Harbilas has earned academic All-America (outstanding) distinction from USA Water Polo two years in a row.
Harbilas and the United States took fifth place at the FINA Junior World Championship in Volos, Greece last September. She was joined on that team by rising Stanford sophomore Sarah Klass along with fellow freshman Ryann Neushul.
Walsh, the 2017-18 Daily Pilot Player of the Year made 262 saves as a senior and a school-record 298 as a junior in helping Laguna Beach to a 31-0 record and its third Division 1 title in four years.
A member of the U.S. Water Polo National Team system since 2014, in May 2017 she competed with the U.S. Senior Women's National Team at the FINA Intercontinental Tournament in Davis, Calif. and also was a part of the United States' 2016 FINA Youth World Championship team that finished fifth in Auckland, New Zealand along with Neushul, Klass and rising sophomore Aria Fischer.
In the classroom, Walsh also earned academic All-America (outstanding) distinction in 2016 and 2017.