Briefs: Fischer sisters, Team USA to play in Los Alamitos

The USA Water Polo Women’s Senior National Team, which includes sisters Makenzie and Aria Fischer of Laguna Beach, will take on Australia in the first game of a three-game series between the teams at 7 p.m. Monday at the Coggan Family Aquatic Center in La Jolla.

The teams also will play at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, and will conclude their series Nov. 27 at Dos Pueblos High in Goleta.

Team USA was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the Water Polo in Rio exhibition tournament.

Team USA earned second place after losing to Australia, 13-10, in a shootout on Wednesday. Makenzie Fischer scored three goals in the loss and was named the tourney’s top goal scorer.

In its first three games, Team USA defeated the Netherlands (13-6), lost to Australia (13-6) and beat China (11-5). Makenzie Fischer led the scoring with four goals against the Netherlands and scored once against China. Aria Fischer scored once in the loss to Australia.

— From staff reports

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AVP awards

The Assn. of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Pro Beach Volleyball Tour has recognized its top performers for the its 2015 season. The seven-event tour season concluded with the AVP Championships in September at the Huntington Beach Pier.

The year-end honors were awarded based on statistics, player votes and points earned during the 2015 tour season. Ten players were nominated in the categories of best defensive player, best blocker and best server, based on statistics (blocks, digs and aces recorded per set, with a minimum of 30 sets played to qualify for the category), with the winner being chosen by votes cast by active AVP players. Similarly, the top 10 offensive players were nominated based on hitting percentage (with a minimum of 600 attacks to qualify), with the winner also being selected by AVP players.

Five men’s players and nine women’s players were nominated for newcomer of the year honors, based on the criteria that they must have been ranked among the top 32 players in their gender at the end of the 2015 season and must have played in less than half of the previous season’s main draws.

Winners in the categories of most valuable player and most improved player were selected by AVP athletes through a write-in ballot. Teams were nominated in the category of team of the year based on tournament wins and overall points earned in 2015, with the winner being selected in a vote cast by the AVP players.

The AVP also honored the tour’s official DJ, Jeremy “DJ Roueche” Roueche, with the AVP’s Lifetime Achievement award for his contributions to the tour over the past 12 years.

AVP Award Winners (Men/Women)

Most Valuable Player: John Mayer/April Ross

Best Blocker: Phil Dalhausser/Jenny Kropp

Best Server: Robbie Page/April Ross

Best Defender: John Mayer/Kendra Van Zwieten

Best Offensive Player: Ryan Doherty/Nicole Branagh

Most Improved Player: Billy Kolinske/Kendra Van Zwieten

Newcomer of the Year: Taylor Crabb/Betsi Metter Flint

Team of the Year: John Hyden and Tri Bourne/Nicole Branagh and Jenny Kropp

Lifetime Achievement Award: Jeremy “DJ Roueche” Roueche

— From staff reports