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No. 4 ASU gets ready for championship quarterfinals

The Sun Devils have spent the past two weeks preparing for what will determine their postseason fate

ASU junior Lena Mihailovic (9) rises up to shoot during a water polo match versus the no. 3 UCLA Bruins at Mona Plummer Aquatic Center in Tempe, Arizona on Saturday, April 8, 2018. ASU lost 13-5.
ASU junior Lena Mihailovic (9) rises up to shoot during a water polo match versus the no. 3 UCLA Bruins at Mona Plummer Aquatic Center in Tempe, Arizona on Saturday, April 8, 2018. ASU lost 13-5.

The first round of postseason play is underway for women’s water polo, as the No. 4 ASU women get set to take on the equally ranked Cal Bears in the MPSF Championship Quarterfinals on Friday.

The Sun Devils have spent the past two weeks preparing for their matchup against the Bears. The last time that these two met, ASU had a thrilling upset in which sophomore Maud Koopman tied the game with under six minutes left to play, before firing in the game winner just a minute later to seal the Sun Devil victory.

The matchup at the end of March was led by a group of players including Koopman, freshman Bente Rogge, and junior Lena Mihailovic who all contributed two goals each.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Sun Devils and Bears were neck and neck with both starting goalies putting together six saves on their respective goals.

“We hope to keep the same mental attitude and intensity that we’ve had,” head coach Todd Clapper said. “It’s going to be a really epic match up.”

While the team has focused on bringing the same energy they had in their last match up, they also know that there are certain areas in their games that they need to improve on, including their communication.

“We have to work on our six-on-fives and our communication is getting better, but it could keep on progressing,” senior goalkeeper Taylor Barrett said.

Barrett said that if the team can gain confidence in their shot taking and communicate in the water, then she is sure the Sun Devils can take down the Bears.

This isn't just another game for the Sun Devils, in fact, the match up between Cal and ASU may be their most important game of the year. The winner of the quarterfinal game will determine who makes the final spot to reach the NCAA Championship in May.


While the match will undoubtedly be a difficult one, the Sun Devils are accustomed to this sort of pressure. Over the 2017 season, the women have taken down multiple top-10 opponents in Michigan, UC Irvine and this week’s opponent - California.

Senior Claudia Abad expressed her confidence in the team.

“Last time we played amazing, it was our best game of the season so we have to play the same,” Abad said. “We’ve been practicing pretty well, and our defense is so much better than it was at the start of the season.”

Abad has a right to be confident, as the Sun Devils have outscored their opponents by over 90 points this season. They have also had three players who have put together 30 goals or more in sophomore Koopman, and juniors Alkistis Benekou and Lena Mihailovic.

With the help of those three, defensive star junior Mia Rycraw recorded a season-high 18 saves against UC Irvine earlier in the year.

Rycraw also held then-No. 1 USC to a mere 11 points, five less than their average. With the “Great Wall of Mia” on their side, the team has every reason to feel confident.

Adding to an already difficult year for women’s water polo, former Olympic players returned to powerhouses like USC and UCLA. However, the way that the Sun Devils have been able to hold their own in one of the premier conferences is remarkable and should be celebrated.

The Sun Devils don’t want to celebrate this sensational season just yet, as for now their postseason hangs in the balance of Friday’s game.

The Sun Devils look to stay in the race for a NCAA title this weekend, where they will take on the No. 5 seed Cal Bears on Friday in Los Angeles at 2:30 p.m. The winner will go on to play the No. 1 seed, UCLA, on Saturday. The loser of the Cal-ASU game will compete on Sunday in the final day of play.


Reach the reporter at klbroder@asu.edu or follow @KellyB1459 on Twitter.

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