As a teenager, Isabel Williams made a major life decision — moving from Severna Park to southern California to pursue her goal of playing water polo at the highest level.
With the full support of her family, Williams settled in Pasadena and joined the prestigious Rose Bowl Water Polo Club, ensuring greater exposure to the country’s top collegiate programs.
The move paid off as Williams established herself as one of the nation’s top goalkeeper prospects and earned a scholarship to perennial power California-Berkeley.
Five years later, Williams reached the pinnacle of the sport when she was named 2024 winner of the Peter J. Cutino Award as the nation’s most outstanding female player. The 2019 Severna Park graduate is the first player in Cal-Berkeley women’s water polo history to receive the Cutino Award.
“Isabel winning the Cutino Award is a really big deal for our program because it’s such a prestigious honor,” Cal coach Coralie Simmons said. “I’m not surprised because Isabel was such a major impact player for our team and it was impossible not to notice that during games.”
Williams was announced as the Cutino Award winner on June 1 during a ceremony held at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. She was one of three finalists along with Hawaii sophomore center Bia Mantellato Dias and UCLA freshman goalie Lauren Steele.
Simply being on the stage was nerve-wracking and Williams was overwhelmed when her name was called.
“It was a surreal moment and I was freaking out,” she said. “When you learn about the history of the award and all the great players that have gotten it … you realize what a tremendous honor it is to even be considered. I’m still in shock that I’m the one that won.”
Williams enjoyed a tremendous senior season for Cal, which went 19-7 and reached the NCAA national championship game. The fifth-year senior set a single-season school record by amassing 326 saves and posted a superb 6.6 goals-against average. She ranked among the national leaders with a .653 save percentage.
Simmons said Williams was the rare goaltender who impacted both ends of the pool.
“I think Isabel was the type of player who changed the makeup of the game. We were able to create and run defenses around her, which is something that really stands out,” Simmons said. “Isabel was also a huge asset to our offense as far as placing balls with her passing and starting the counterattack.”
Humble beginnings
Williams grew up in Berrywood and was a member of the community swim team. Coaches routinely held “water polo days” to break up the monotony of practice. A teammate played water polo for the Naval Academy Aquatic Club and invited Williams to try out.
Williams wound up playing water polo for the Naval Academy Aquatic Club for eight years, originally as a field player before moving into the net at age 12. She was fortunate to learn the intricacies of the sport from a personal tutor with high-level experience.
Her older brother, Ronan Williams, was a three-year starting goalie for Navy from 2016-19. Ronan, who is currently deployed in Japan, was thrilled to learn his younger sister had earned the award known as the Heisman Trophy of water polo.
“It inspires me to see my sister’s growth in the sport. I trained Isabel when she began playing over 10 years ago and her progress has been nothing short of exponential since then,” Ronan said via email. “I think Isabel has been the best player in the nation for some time, so it’s nice to see her officially recognized with this award. It’s the culmination of many years of hard work and determination on her part.”
Williams graduated early from Severna Park High at 17 and moved to California along with her mother, Kari Williams.
“My mom earns the spot as No. 1 supporter. She’s been with me through every step of the journey and I’m so grateful that I’ve had her for everything in and out of the pool,” Williams said.
Williams was picked for the 2018 Team USA Futures International Team, then played for Team USA at the 2019 Junior World Championships. She ended up choosing to play collegiately at Cal over USC and UCA. “I just felt like I could make the most meaningful impact at Cal,” she said.
Developing netminder
Williams was a backup for two seasons and used that time to learn about playing the goalie position at the highest level of Division I and developed in all areas.
Williams took over as the starter as a junior and emerged as the nation’s best goalie, recording 245 saves — the fourth-highest single-season total in program history. She averaged almost 11 saves per game and was named first team All-American by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches.
“When I finally got the opportunity I knew I had to make the most of it and I did,” Williams said. “It meant a lot to have such a huge role with the team and felt good to show that I could perform at a high level.”
Williams was even better as a senior, totaling 266 saves, 54 steals and 12 assists — repeating as a first team All-MPSF selection, but was only picked second team All-American. She left no doubt about who was the nation’s best goaltender with the monstrous fifth-year campaign, registering double-digit saves in 25 of 26 games while amassing a season-high 18 saves on three occasions.
Williams believes she “really found my voice” the past two seasons and was a better communicator and leader in the pool. Simmons praised Williams for the dedication she displayed to honing her craft and figuring out how to make the most of her skill set.
“Isabel is tall, long and lanky, so coming into college she had to really improve her reaction time and become cat-quick in the cage,” Simmons said. “Isabel developed the explosiveness that was necessary to make those big blocks with the ball coming at her really fast. She really elevated her game in terms of quickness and athleticism.”
Williams is set to play professional volleyball in Greece and hopes to remain involved with the national program with an eye toward representing the United States in the 2028 Summer Olympics being held in Los Angeles.
“I certainly don’t think Isabel has hit her ceiling; She has always found ways to get better year-in and year-out and is hungry to continue to evolve,” Simmons said. “Isabel is going to compete at an even higher level as a pro and definitely has the ability to make the Olympic team.”