TEMPE, Ariz. – Four members of the Arizona State University Water Polo team were named to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation All-Conference Teams, as announced by the MPSF on Thursday afternoon.
Redshirt seniors Alkistis Benekou and Mia Rycraw became three-time All-MPSF honorees by taking home Second Team All-Conference distinction. Teammate sophomore Bente Rogge was also named to the Second Team, building on an All-MPSF honorable mention campaign as a freshman. The last of the four to receive an All-MPSF selection is freshman Amira Van Buren, who is one of six freshman athletes to be named to the MPSF All-Newcomer Team.
Center Alkistis Benekou has been a focal point of the Arizona State offense attack throughout the season. Her 36 goals rank her eight in the conference, including 12 multi-goal performances which ties her for the team lead. Benekou's 179 career goals over four years is currently good enough for third place on the Sun Devil's all-time leading goal scoring list. She has reached the 30-goal plateau in all four of her season in Tempe.
Benekou helped the Sun Devils get off to a hot start at the UCSB Triton Invite, opening the season with a four-goal performance in a victory over No. 25 Cal Baptist. She put together five consecutive multi-goal outings to start the season, including three of her five 3+ goal matches on the season. Benekou found the back of the net four times once again, this time doing it later in the season in a 12-2 victory over No. 13 Indiana at the ASU Invitational. She was a mainstay throughout the season in the Sun Devil lineup, participating in all 23 regular season matches. Her 1.57 goals per match total is the 12th best in the MPSF.
Goalkeeper Mia Rycraw was brilliant in net all season, finishing with an MPSF-leading 197 saves and 80 quarters played. A true number one goaltender, Rycraw thrived as the Sun Devil's main goalie throughout the season. Rycraw put together nine double-digit save performances. The Walnut, Calif. native played one of the most complete matches by a MPSF goaltender this season in the Sun Devils 12-2 victory over No. 13 Indiana. The redshirt-senior was in her All-American form, finishing the contest with 16 saves, tied for the third most for one match in the conference in 2018.
Rycraw's impact was felt throughout the defensive unit, as her presence and athleticism represent a unique combination for the position. During her four-year career, Rycraw accumulated 792 saves, a mark that places her third on the Sun Devil's all-time career saves list. She is just three saves away, with at least two matches left, from completing three consecutive years in which she recorded at least 200 saves, highlighted by a 313-save campaign in 2016. She was the leader of the Sun Devils defensive unit that allowed nine goals through the first three games, the fewest since the 2009-10 team. ASU has allowed three goals or fewer in seven matches this season.
The duo of Benekou and Rycraw are part of a senior class that has left an everlasting impact on the Sun Devil Water Polo program. Accolades of the senior class include:
"I'm really proud of this talented, hard-working team" Coach Clapper commented. "To have three athletes named 2nd Team in the strongest conference nationally is quite an honor for them and a testament to the team around them."
Rogge consistently offered the Sun Devils a scoring punch, scoring at least a goal in 17 of 23 matches this season. During a 10-game goal-scoring streak extending from February 4th-March 10th, Rogge recorded 20 goals (2.0 goals/game) in that span. Rogge's strength continues to be on the defensive end, as she totaled 14 steals. In two season she has been in Tempe, Rogge has reached the 30-goal plateau each year.
Offering a glimpse into the future of MPSF Water Polo, seven student-athletes were named to the MPSF All-Newcomer Team. Freshman Amira Van Buren earned a spot on the team as one of just six freshmen to make the list. Van Buren competed in 20 matches for the Sun Devils while competing in the toughest conference in the country. Van Buren finished the regular season with seven goals, one assist, and a pair of steals. She earned valuable experience during her first season in Tempe, participating in all five matches during MPSF play.
Van Buren continued to get more comfortable as the season went on and continued to be rewarded with increased playing time. Her best matches of the season occurred during a four-game stretch (February 25th-March 10th) in which she scored a goal in all four matches. She tallied her first career goal in the re-match against No. 5 Hawaii and carried the momentum into the ASU Invitational. In a familiar environment at Mona Plummer Aquatic Center, Van Buren scored a season-high three goals in a 15-6 victory over Pomona-Pitzer on the heels of her first career multi-goal performance against Fresno State.
"I was pleased to see Amira named to the All-Newcomer Team" Coach Clapper stated. "She is poised to do great things at ASU."
Despite several key departures due to graduation, the continued development of sophomore Bente Rogge and freshman Amira Van Buren represent a promising future for Sun Devil Water Polo. Leading goal scorer Maud Koopman (39 goals) returns next season along with significant contributors Julia Reyes, P.J. Allin, and Rosie Huck to form a talented core that will be ready to immediately compete at the highest level.
A reminder that the Sun Devils began postseason play at the 2018 MPSF Championship hosted by the Universtiy of California at Spieker Aquatic Center in Berkeley. The fifth-seeded Sun Devils will take on fourth seed UCLA in a matchup scheduled for 12:45 P.M. on Friday, April 27th. There are several ways to follow the Sun Devil Water Polo team while they are competing at the 2018 MPSF Championships in Berkeley. A subscription service will provide a live stream of every match of the tournament, available via MPSF Live Stream. Updates for all matches, including goals, saves, and notable plays, will be provided through the main MPSF Women's Water Polo Twitter account (@MPSFWomensWP). Additional live coverage and information will be provided throughout the weekend on our various social media accounts.
Redshirt seniors Alkistis Benekou and Mia Rycraw became three-time All-MPSF honorees by taking home Second Team All-Conference distinction. Teammate sophomore Bente Rogge was also named to the Second Team, building on an All-MPSF honorable mention campaign as a freshman. The last of the four to receive an All-MPSF selection is freshman Amira Van Buren, who is one of six freshman athletes to be named to the MPSF All-Newcomer Team.
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— Sun Devil Water Polo (@SunDevilWP) April 26, 2018
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Center Alkistis Benekou has been a focal point of the Arizona State offense attack throughout the season. Her 36 goals rank her eight in the conference, including 12 multi-goal performances which ties her for the team lead. Benekou's 179 career goals over four years is currently good enough for third place on the Sun Devil's all-time leading goal scoring list. She has reached the 30-goal plateau in all four of her season in Tempe.
Benekou helped the Sun Devils get off to a hot start at the UCSB Triton Invite, opening the season with a four-goal performance in a victory over No. 25 Cal Baptist. She put together five consecutive multi-goal outings to start the season, including three of her five 3+ goal matches on the season. Benekou found the back of the net four times once again, this time doing it later in the season in a 12-2 victory over No. 13 Indiana at the ASU Invitational. She was a mainstay throughout the season in the Sun Devil lineup, participating in all 23 regular season matches. Her 1.57 goals per match total is the 12th best in the MPSF.
Goalkeeper Mia Rycraw was brilliant in net all season, finishing with an MPSF-leading 197 saves and 80 quarters played. A true number one goaltender, Rycraw thrived as the Sun Devil's main goalie throughout the season. Rycraw put together nine double-digit save performances. The Walnut, Calif. native played one of the most complete matches by a MPSF goaltender this season in the Sun Devils 12-2 victory over No. 13 Indiana. The redshirt-senior was in her All-American form, finishing the contest with 16 saves, tied for the third most for one match in the conference in 2018.
Rycraw's impact was felt throughout the defensive unit, as her presence and athleticism represent a unique combination for the position. During her four-year career, Rycraw accumulated 792 saves, a mark that places her third on the Sun Devil's all-time career saves list. She is just three saves away, with at least two matches left, from completing three consecutive years in which she recorded at least 200 saves, highlighted by a 313-save campaign in 2016. She was the leader of the Sun Devils defensive unit that allowed nine goals through the first three games, the fewest since the 2009-10 team. ASU has allowed three goals or fewer in seven matches this season.
The duo of Benekou and Rycraw are part of a senior class that has left an everlasting impact on the Sun Devil Water Polo program. Accolades of the senior class include:
- 69-31 record
- 25-9 home record (Best in program history over a four-year span)
- Never ranked outside CWPA Top-10
- 2016 NCAA Tournament Fifth Place Finish
"I'm really proud of this talented, hard-working team" Coach Clapper commented. "To have three athletes named 2nd Team in the strongest conference nationally is quite an honor for them and a testament to the team around them."
Rogge consistently offered the Sun Devils a scoring punch, scoring at least a goal in 17 of 23 matches this season. During a 10-game goal-scoring streak extending from February 4th-March 10th, Rogge recorded 20 goals (2.0 goals/game) in that span. Rogge's strength continues to be on the defensive end, as she totaled 14 steals. In two season she has been in Tempe, Rogge has reached the 30-goal plateau each year.
Offering a glimpse into the future of MPSF Water Polo, seven student-athletes were named to the MPSF All-Newcomer Team. Freshman Amira Van Buren earned a spot on the team as one of just six freshmen to make the list. Van Buren competed in 20 matches for the Sun Devils while competing in the toughest conference in the country. Van Buren finished the regular season with seven goals, one assist, and a pair of steals. She earned valuable experience during her first season in Tempe, participating in all five matches during MPSF play.
Van Buren continued to get more comfortable as the season went on and continued to be rewarded with increased playing time. Her best matches of the season occurred during a four-game stretch (February 25th-March 10th) in which she scored a goal in all four matches. She tallied her first career goal in the re-match against No. 5 Hawaii and carried the momentum into the ASU Invitational. In a familiar environment at Mona Plummer Aquatic Center, Van Buren scored a season-high three goals in a 15-6 victory over Pomona-Pitzer on the heels of her first career multi-goal performance against Fresno State.
"I was pleased to see Amira named to the All-Newcomer Team" Coach Clapper stated. "She is poised to do great things at ASU."
Despite several key departures due to graduation, the continued development of sophomore Bente Rogge and freshman Amira Van Buren represent a promising future for Sun Devil Water Polo. Leading goal scorer Maud Koopman (39 goals) returns next season along with significant contributors Julia Reyes, P.J. Allin, and Rosie Huck to form a talented core that will be ready to immediately compete at the highest level.
A reminder that the Sun Devils began postseason play at the 2018 MPSF Championship hosted by the Universtiy of California at Spieker Aquatic Center in Berkeley. The fifth-seeded Sun Devils will take on fourth seed UCLA in a matchup scheduled for 12:45 P.M. on Friday, April 27th. There are several ways to follow the Sun Devil Water Polo team while they are competing at the 2018 MPSF Championships in Berkeley. A subscription service will provide a live stream of every match of the tournament, available via MPSF Live Stream. Updates for all matches, including goals, saves, and notable plays, will be provided through the main MPSF Women's Water Polo Twitter account (@MPSFWomensWP). Additional live coverage and information will be provided throughout the weekend on our various social media accounts.
| ALL-MPSF SECOND-TEAM |
|||
| Paige Hauschild | Freshman | USC | Santa Barbara, CA/San Marcos HS |
| Aria Fischer | Freshman | Stanford | Laguna Beach, CA/Laguna Beach HS |
| ^ Brianna Daboub | Senior | USC | Newport Beach, CA/Mater Dei HS |
| ^ Carla Carrega | Senior | California | Imperia, Italy/Liceo Scientifico |
| Bente Rogge | Sophomore | Arizona State | Zaanstad, Netherlands/St. Michael College |
| # Alkistis Benekou | RS-Senior | Arizona State | Athens, Greece/40 Lykeio Amarousiou |
| # Mia Rycraw | RS-Senior | Arizona State | Walnut, CA/Walnut HS |
| ALL-MPSF NEWCOMER TEAM |
|||
| Paige Hauschild | Freshman | USC | Santa Barbara, CA/San Marcos HS |
| Aria Fischer | Freshman | Stanford | Laguna Beach, CA/Laguna Beach HS |
| Kitty Lynn Joustra | Freshman | California | Pumerland, The Netherlands |
| Lexi Liebowitz | Freshman | UCLA | Danville, CA/San Ramon Valley HS |
| Elli Protopapas | Freshman | California | Athens, Greece/German School of Athens |
| Amira Van Buren | Freshman | Arizona State | Murrieta, CA/Vista Murrieta HS |
| Guara Garcia Delgado | Junior | San Jose State | Carolina, Puerto Rico/U. of La Verne, CA/Walnut HS |