TEMPE, Ariz – The seventh-ranked Arizona State water polo team defeated La Verne, 17-3, Sunday morning in the final game of the 2017 ASU Invite at Mona Plummer Aquatic Center.

"Throughout the weekend, there was a lot more talking and communication on offense and defense," head coach Todd Clapper said. "I think that we've made really big improvements that way. Everybody now is working a lot more for each other."
 
The Sun Devils were a force to be reckoned with on offense, as Alkistis Benekou's seven goals propelled the squad over the Leopards.
 
Taylor Barrett, Ellie Karl and Sophia Burgess all saw action in the match as goalies for ASU. Karl led with five saves while Barrett and Burgess each recorded one.
 
The Sun Devils staked a lead after Lena Mihailovic netted three consecutive goals in the first quarter. Maud Koopman backed up the lead with a score of her own, to make it 4-0.
 
Marist answered late to close the first frame 5-1.
 
ASU came out firing in the second quarter as Koopman scored in the first minute of the frame to extend ASU's lead to 5-1. The squad stunned La Verne, freezing the Leopards' offense in the period while going on a 5-0 run to end the half. Mihailovic, Benekou, Catherine Simko and Stephanie Contreras chipped in to push the Devils ahead 10-1 at the break.
 
Benekou slammed in another goal after Julia Reyes delivered a pass to the inside to get the ASU scoring started in the second half. She would go on to score three-consecutive goals in the period, but the senior was far from finished as she closed out the period with two more goals to close out the 16-2 ASU victory.
 
The Sun Devils will head to California next on March 18 and 19 to participate in the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunner Invitational. The team will face CSU Bakersfield, Princeton and Cal State East Bay.