BERKELEY – Following a career season in which she led the California women's water polo team to its second NCAA Championship final appearance, goalkeeper Isabel Williams has been named one of three finalists for the Peter J. Cutino Award, given to the best male and female NCAA water polo player each year.

Williams – who set the Golden Bears' single-season saves record (326) while guiding their defense to a nation-best 6.7 goals allowed per game – joins Emily Csikos as the only Cutino Award finalists in program history.

The Severna Park, Maryland, native reached double-digit saves in 23 of 26 outings in a year that culminated with Cal making its first NCAA final since 2011. Williams ended her fifth year at Cal with career highs in save percentage (.653) and saves per game (12.5), earned a team-high three MPSF Player of the Week awards, and claimed her third consecutive All-MPSF First Team selection.

After starting the year ranked fifth in career saves in the Bears' record book, Williams secured the No. 1 spot in Cal's MPSF Championship opener against San Jose State, stopping a penalty midway through the second quarter to surpass Stephanie Peckham (816 saves, 2009-11). Williams settled on 885 career saves after helping hold all three of Cal's NCAA Championship opponents to season lows in goals.

Set to join Williams at the Cutino Awards are fellow finalists Bia Mantellato Dias (Hawaii) and Lauren Steele (UCLA). The ceremony is set for Saturday, June 1 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco and will be livestreamed on Overnght.com.

The Cutino Award is named after the late Pete Cutino, the legendary former Cal men's water polo head coach who led the Bears to eight national titles.