HONOLULU – University of Hawai'i head water polo coach Maureen Cole announced on Friday a trio of signees slated to join the Rainbow Wahine for the 2016-17 school year, with the addition of Samantha "Jedi" Malouff, Ashley Ramirez and Samantha Shaw.

"We are really excited to welcome Jedi, Sam and Ashley to the Wahine 'Ohana," Cole said. "Each of them have done great things at the high school and club level and will make an immediate impact on our program. The future is bright with this competitive and talented group of freshmen."

Coming out of Hillcrest High School in Riverside, Calif., Malouff logged 176 goals, 122 steals and 56 assists in her senior year to lead the Inland area in scoring for the second straight year. The Riverside native was selected as the River Valley League MVP in consecutive years (2015-16) after leading the team to two straight league titles. Also named CIF-Southern Section Division 7 Player of the Year in consecutive years (2015-16) and was a CIF-SS first-teamer as a sophomore in 2014. As a junior, Malouff set the single season CIF-SS scoring record with 236 goals, leading her squad to 2015 Division 7 Runner-up and 2016 Championship finishes. She received All-American honorable mention in 2014 was listed among the Academic All-America following her sophomore and junior seasons and has been named a Scholar Athlete in each of the past three seasons.
 
Hailing from Commerce, Calif. and Montebello High School, Ramirez scored 87 goals with 75 assists, 41 steals and 45 ejections drawn through 82 quarters of her senior year. Earned first-team all-Almont League and all-area honors for the second consecutive year, as well as second-team All-CIF Southern Section honors. Ramirez previously was the MHS Varsity Freshman of the year and on the all-Almont second team, picking up second-team all-area honors as a sophomore. Ramirez helped MHS to a second-place finish in the Almont League this season.

Another inbound Rainbow Wahine from Riverside, Shaw comes out of Martin Luther King High School, where she was a four-year winner of the school's Offensive Award, putting up 87 goals, 23 steals and 18 assists, drawing 39 ejections. Selected as the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 Player of the Year and received first-team all-Big VIII League honors this season, after leading MLKHS to another Big VIII Championship and a Section Championship. Shaw scored 17 playoff goals, including three in the Section final. As a junior, Shaw was a member of the all-CIF-SS first team and all-league first team, aiding her squad to a Big VIII Championship and a Sectional Runner-up finish. She was named the MVP of the Riverside Water Polo club team last year (2014-15) and earned all-CIF second team following her sophomore season.

The Rainbow Wahine finished their 2016 season in the Big West Championship final with a 20-8 record, earning the program's third 20-win finish in the last 10 seasons. The class of freshmen will bolster a talented UH roster that graduated no seniors in 2016 and will see the return of four Senior National Team players who redshirted during this Olympic year. Returning seniors will be Brazilian Olympic team starting center Gabriela Mantellato and Spain Senior National Team player Paula Chillida. Returning as redshirt Juniors will be Australia National Team player and 2015 Big West Player of the Year Chloe Barr, as well as and Great Britain Senior National Team player Claire Nixon.