Mohave Today

Arizona State University women's water polo team has earned an at-large bid with the No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2014, and for only the third time in Sun Devils' history. 

Senior Bente Rogge was selected as an All-MPSF First-Teamer. Senior Amira Van Buren and freshman Luca Petovary were named All-MPSF Honorable Mentions. Petovary was also named to the MPSF All-Newcomer Team.

Coach Todd Clapper said he and the team were gratified to hear the announcement but the Sun Devils quickly returned to the mindset of needing to put in the work for a tournament victory. 

"We were obviously thrilled when we heard 'Arizona State' called during the selection show," Clapper told Mohave Today. "It is easy in the moments after to forget that there is still work to do to prepare and that getting a bid is just one step. It didn’t take long for the team to snap back to the job at hand and get back to training and prep mode. It is a little easier than preparation for Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championships because school is finished for the team. We have more time to train, rest and repeat." 

Arizona State will face Michigan in the first round of the tournament. 

"They are a strong team and well-coached," Clapper said. "They have two strong center players and some really talented shooters. Typically, Michigan likes to play a high-pressure defense and tries to push the pace of the game." 

The coach said his team needs to be prepared if it is going to beat the Wolverines. 

"When we played them [in late February], it was early, and they weren’t at top form. We need to be prepared for a stronger opponent than we faced in February," Clapper said. 

The schools split their two February meetings, with Michigan winning the first 12-10, and ASU taking the second game 7-4.

According to a release from the Sun Devils, the women's water polo team placed fourth in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament, which tied the team's highest finish since 2014. 

The Sun Devils have been a top-five team or higher in the Collegiate Water Polo Association rankings for the past 11 weeks, the most weeks ranked in program history, the release said. 

The NCAA women's water polo tournament will be May 14-16 at the Spieker Aquatics Center in Los Angeles.