ROME, Italy -- Former and current Collegiate Water Polo Association All-Conference selections Bronwen Knox (Hartwick College), Betsey Armstrong '05 (University of Michigan) and Kirsten Hudson '10 (Hartwick College) factored in their teams' results on July 29 at the 2009 FINA World Championship in Rome, Italy.

Featuring Uzbekistan, the United States of America, China, Italy, Hungary, Russia, Greece, Kazakhstan, Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Germany, Brazil, Spain and the Netherlands, the 2009 FINA World Championship is the preeminent international water polo event of the year as the world's best compete for global pride and the title "World Champion".

Box scores and play-by-play from each of the World Championship games are available online here.

Betsey Armstrong

The goalkeeper for the United States National Team, Armstrong improved to 5-1 at the FINA Championship leading the U.S. to an 8-7 victory over Greece in the semifinals to advance to the Americans to the championship game.  Against Greece, she made 14 saves on 21 shots with a steal while going the distance (32 minutes) to set-up an all-North America title game tilt against Canada which defeated Russia 8-7 in the other semifinal.

The United States will attempt to capture the World Championship at 3:00 p.m. EST on July 31.  Live coverage of the championship game is available online from Universal Sports.

The semifinal victory continued a streak of dominance by Armstrong as she picked up wins over Kazakhstan (19-6 W), Greece (12-8 W), China (12-9 W) and Spain (9-6 W) with a loss to Russia (11-10 L) earlier in the tournament.  Statistically, she now has 56 saves on 102 shots in 184 minutes of play in six games

Against Kazakhstan in the opening round of pool play, she made six saves on 11 shots with a steal in 24 minutes of work on July 19, before tallying eight saves on 19 shots over 32 minutes in an 11-10 loss to Russia on July 21.  She returned to the pool to stop 12 of 20 shots in 32 minutes to key the United States to a 12-8 victory over Greece on July 21.  On July 25, she blocked down 10 of 19 shots in 32 minutes during a 12-9 victory over China to forward the U.S. to a quarterfinal showdown with Spain on July 27.

Against Spain, she wrangled six of 12 shots over 32 minutes to power the Red, White & Blue to a 9-6 win and advance her team to the semifinals against Greece.

A 2008 Collegiate Water Polo Association Hall of Fame inductee, Armstrong spent four seasons tending the cage for the University of Michigan Wolverines, leading the team to four divisional titles and two NCAA tournament appearances, including a sixth-place finish at the 2005 NCAA Championship. She wrapped up her U-M career as the program leader in blocks (1,267), minutes (3,329), goals against average (5.64) and save percentage (.654). She also holds the top four Michigan single-season blocks totals and three of the top five spots on the single-season save percentage and GAA lists.

During her career with the Maize and Blue, Armstrong racked up a pair of divisional Most Valuable Player accolades (2003-04) and four CWPA All-Division First Team honors (2002-05). Armstrong excelled at the Eastern Championship, earning two MVP honors (2003, '05) as part of three All-Eastern Championship first team nominations (2002, 2004-05). On the national level, she earned All-America recognition in each season, making the second team in 2004, third team in 2005 and honorable mention in her first two campaigns at Michigan.

In May 2006, she earned a spot on the USA National Team following an open tryout. In just under two years with the squad, Armstrong has led Team USA to a gold medal at the XV Pan American Games -- securing the country's spot at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China -- and gold medal victories in both the FINA World League and FINA World Championships. At the World Championships, Armstrong was recognized as the tournament's Most Outstanding Goalkeeper.

At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, she guided Team U.S.A. to the gold medal game against the Netherlands as the team captured the silver medal.

Kirsten Hudson

A member of her native New Zealand's team, coached by former Brown University head coach and current Arizona State University club athlete and head women's varsity coach Todd Clapper, Hudson accounted for a third of her team's offense in a 16-9 loss to China as New Zealand finished 12th at the FINA Championship.

Against China, she tallied three goals on six shots while handing out an assist in 20:25 of play to raise her statistics to nine goals on 23 shots with one assist and three steals.

Overall, New Zealand finished 1-4 at the tournament against South Africa (12-5 W), Canada (12-6 L), Australia (14-4 L), Germany (8-7 L) and China.

 Against South Africa in the first game of pool play, she fired three shots and recorded a steal in 20:02 of field time in New Zealand's victory, before tallying five shots and a steal in 21:56 versus Canada.  She tacked on three goals off four shots in 27:29 against Australia as New Zealand finished third in its pool. 

Versus Germany in the next round, she tallied three goals on five shots with a steal.

The 2009 Hartwick College Anna Meyer Female Athlete of the Year Award, she recorded one of the most impressive seasons of any player in Hartwick water polo history in 2009. She became the first player at Hartwick to break the 200-point mark in a single season, broke the career goals and points records at 'Wick, and reached the 500-point mark for her career.

She was named the Eastern Championship Most Valuable Player for the second time in three years and earned first team All-Tournament honors for the third straight time.

A Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Northern Division First Team all-star for the third consecutive season, she earned her division's Player of the Week award four-times during the 2009 season.

She broke the season assist record with 77 helpers, while her 124 goals in 2009 was the second-highest single-season total in program history. Defensively, she registered 87 steals this season giving her 205 (tied for 4th all-time) for her three-year career.

Hudson will have a chance to continue her international experience next year as New Zealand will serve as host of the 2010 FINA World Cup.

Bronwen Knox

Knox continued to score for Australia as the Brisbane native put home one of five shots in 24:11 of field time to key the Aussies to a 7-5 victory over Spain and a berth in the fifth place game versus the Netherlands on July 31.

A member of Australia's team at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, she raised her statistics at the FINA Championship to nine goals on 20 shots as she factored against Canada (6-6 T), South Africa (23-2 W), New Zealand (14-4 W), Greece (4-3 L) and Spain.

Following a one shot and steal performance against Canada in the opening round of pool play on July 19, she rattled off five goals on five shots in 18:18 against South Africa on July 21 before tallying three goals on six shots with a steal in 20:56 against New Zealand on July 25 as Australia won Group C.

In a quarterfinal match-up against Greece on July 27, she fired off three shots in 22:49 as Australia fell to the Greeks.

A two time American Water Polo Coaches Association (AWPCA) All-America selection during her career at Hartwick, she led the nation in goals in 2006 with 127 en route to becoming a second team honoree. She left Hartwick following the season to train with the Australian National Team. As a freshman, she was recognized as an honorable mention All-America following her 102-goal, 31-assist effort in 2005. She was also chosen as a first team all-Eastern Championship and all-CWPA Northern Division honoree both years as well.

Despite only playing two years at Hartwick, she ranks among the program leaders in goals (229), steals (209), total points (286) and holds the single-season records for goals (127) and steals (117).