Ava Houlahan

Photo by: David Frerker Sports Photography 2025

Photo by: Sideline Photos, LLC

Photo by: Glenn Yoza

Class:
Freshman
High School:
Laguna Beach
Hometown:
Laguna Beach, Calif.

Awards:
CWPA First-Team All-Conference (2025)
CWPA All-Tournament Second Team (2025)
CWPA All-Tournament Honorable Mention (2024)
CWPA Rookie of the Week (Mar. 13, 2023, Apr. 17, 2023)

2025: Started all but one contest … Added 41 goals, 26 assists, 34 steals and went 14-10 in sprints … Put up four goals, two assists vs. No. 22 Wagner (Jan. 26) … Contributed two goals, two assists and three drawn ejections at No. 18 Harvard (Feb. 8) … Threw four in the back of the cage vs. No. 11 UC San Diego (Feb. 8) … Led the Tigers with five goals vs. No. 16 Michigan (Feb. 22) … Dished out four helpers and had three steals at No. 12 LMU (Mar. 8) … Hat trick at No. 2 USC (Mar. 14) … Collected two goals, two assists and three steals vs. No. 22 Brown (Mar. 29) … Had two goals and three steals vs. No. 9 Harvard (Mar. 29) … Added two goals vs. Mercyhurst (Mar. 30, Apr. 5) … Scored four times vs. Bucknell in the CWPA Semifinals (Apr. 26) … Scored and had three steals vs. No. 15 Harvard in the CWPA Championship (Apr. 27).

2024: Saw action in 28 games, making 24 starts … Added 23 goals, 45 assists and 27 steals … Scored twice and had an assist vs. No. 5 Fresno State (Jan. 27) … Dished out five assists vs. No. 21 San Diego State (Feb. 18) … Contributed three consecutive games with two goals each (Mar. 2-3) … Secured three dimes vs. No. 13 UC San Diego (Mar. 10) and vs. No. 11 Michigan (Apr. 6) …. Put up two goals and two assists at No. 19 Harvard (Apr. 13) along with a goal and two helpers at No. 25 Brown (Apr. 13) … Hat trick including the game-winning goal vs. No. 13 Michigan in the CWPA Championship game (Apr. 28).

2023: Saw action in 31 games … Contributed 19 goals and 33 assists along with 30 steals … Had helpers in five straight games (Feb. 11-26) … Scored four goals vs. No. 15 UC San Diego (Mar. 12) … Snagged a hat trick and five helpers at No. 16 LMU (Mar. 18) … Dropped in three assists vs. No. 13 Michigan (Apr. 2) … Led with three assists vs. No. 3 Cal in the NCAA Quarterfinals (May 12).

Before Princeton:
Laguna Beach: Senior captain who led the team in scoring, assists and steals … First-Team All-CIF Open Division … First-Team Surf League … Team won the Sunset League three times and the D1 CIF SS title twice … Squad won the state crown in 2020 and was runner up twice … Team MVP … Lettered in swimming ... Set the school record in the 200m relay … Sunset Conference All-Academic Team all four years for water polo and swimming … Principles Honor Roll all four years.

National/Club: Four-time All-American in the Junior Olympics highlighted by two first-team honors in 2016 and 2018 … 16U Junior Olympic Champions in 2019.

Personal: Daughter of Katie and Mike Houlahan … Has a sister and brother … Plays water polo at Princeton with sister, Grace … Grandfather, Michael, played football at Yale … Great Grandfather, Bill Calderwood, played football at Northwestern.

Why I chose Princeton?
I chose Princeton because the University allows me to play my sport and indulge in an amazing academic experience. The family and culture of the Princeton water polo drew me to the school while the unrivaled academic opportunities made my decisions clear.

Career Stats:

Season	GP	Goals	Shots	Assists	Steals	Sprints (W-L)	Ej. Drawn	Blocks
2023	31	19	50	33	30	3-2	6	8
2024	28	23	90	45	27	4-11	2	9
2025	27	41	103	26	34	14-10	13	8
Career	86	83	243	104	91	21-23	21	25

Career Highs:
Goals: 5, vs. No. 16 Michigan (2/22/25)
Assists: 5, 2x - MR - vs. No. 21 San Diego State (2/18/24)
Steals: 3, 8x - MR - vs. No. 15 Harvard (4/27/25)
Drawn Ejections: 3, at No. 18 Harvard (2/8/25)
Blocks: 3, at No. 14 Michigan (4/5/25)