HONOLULU — University of Hawai'i sophomore center Bia Mantellato Dias was named the Big West Women's Water Polo Player of the Week on Wednesday after helping the Rainbow Wahine to a historic opening weekend in the Polo-Palooza in Fresno, Calif.
 
Mantellato Dias, last year's Big West Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, scored a total of six goals and had two assists in two official matches in the tournament and earned the conference's Player of the Week award for the fourth time in her career.
 
Mantellato Dias opened the season by scoring four goals, all in the second half, and distributing two assists to help UH rally past Michigan in a 14-11 overtime victory on Jan. 20 at Clovis North High School.  She also drew five exclusions, including one leading to a penalty shot, in the victory.
 
In UH's second match of the day at the Fresno State Aquatic Center, she contributed two more goals and drew three exclusions and the Rainbow Wahine defeated No. 1 Stanford for the first time in program history. She scored a first-quarter goal to help UH take a 3-1 lead into halftime. After Stanford pulled ahead in the second half, Mantellato Dias scored again with 3:47 left in the fourth quarter to tie the match at 7-7. UH went on to pull out the 9-7 win in overtime to celebrate a victory over the Cardinal for the first time in 37 meetings.
 
The Rainbow Wahine moved up a spot to No. 4 in the Collegiate Water Polo Association poll released on Wednesday. They make their home debut in the Rainbow Invitational starting Friday at the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex. The Rainbow Wahine face No. 9 Princeton at 6 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, they'll face Azusa Pacific at noon and No. 5 Fresno State at 6 p.m.