TEMPE, Ariz. - Following the conclusion of the 2020 season, three members of the Sun Devil Water Polo team were named to the MPSF All-Conference Teams, earning five individual honors, as announced by MPSF on Wednesday.
Freshman goalkeeper Itzahiana Baca was selected to the All-MPSF First Team, the first Sun Devil to earn this recognition since 2017. Junior Amira Van Buren was named to the Second Team, her second conference honor after making the MPSF All-Newcomer Team her freshman year. Freshman Eszter Kiss earned All-MPSF Honorable Mention, and both Baca and Kiss were named to the All-Newcomer Team.
Baca anchored the Sun Devil defense in her first season in Tempe. Baca's 109 saves in 51 quarters played were the second-most saves by any MPSF goalkeeper this season. She had 10+ saves in five games, including a career-high 16 saves in a 9-5 win over No. 15 Princeton in the Cross-Conference Challenge. Baca's 8.55 saves/game average places her among the top 10 in program history in season saves/game.
Team captain Van Buren showed continued progress in her third season with the Sun Devils, recording a career-best 37 goals despite the shortened season. Her single game career-high six goals in a 14-7 win at No. 13 San Jose State put her in the Sun Devil record books with the t-6th most goals scored in a single game in program history. Van Buren scored at least one goal in 15 of ASU's 17 games played, including 12 multi-goal performances.
Kiss contributed on both ends of the pool for the Sun Devils, finishing fourth in the MPSF in steals (23) and seventh in assists (18). She became the first Sun Devil to win MPSF Newcomer of the Week honors since 2016 when she was recognized with the honor on Feb. 11 after compiling seven goals in four games at the UCSD Triton Invitational, including her first career hat trick in a 10-9 upset over No. 5 UC Irvine.
The Sun Devils will look to continue building on this season's success next year, as they lose no players to graduation during the 2020 offseason.
Freshman goalkeeper Itzahiana Baca was selected to the All-MPSF First Team, the first Sun Devil to earn this recognition since 2017. Junior Amira Van Buren was named to the Second Team, her second conference honor after making the MPSF All-Newcomer Team her freshman year. Freshman Eszter Kiss earned All-MPSF Honorable Mention, and both Baca and Kiss were named to the All-Newcomer Team.
Baca anchored the Sun Devil defense in her first season in Tempe. Baca's 109 saves in 51 quarters played were the second-most saves by any MPSF goalkeeper this season. She had 10+ saves in five games, including a career-high 16 saves in a 9-5 win over No. 15 Princeton in the Cross-Conference Challenge. Baca's 8.55 saves/game average places her among the top 10 in program history in season saves/game.
Team captain Van Buren showed continued progress in her third season with the Sun Devils, recording a career-best 37 goals despite the shortened season. Her single game career-high six goals in a 14-7 win at No. 13 San Jose State put her in the Sun Devil record books with the t-6th most goals scored in a single game in program history. Van Buren scored at least one goal in 15 of ASU's 17 games played, including 12 multi-goal performances.
Kiss contributed on both ends of the pool for the Sun Devils, finishing fourth in the MPSF in steals (23) and seventh in assists (18). She became the first Sun Devil to win MPSF Newcomer of the Week honors since 2016 when she was recognized with the honor on Feb. 11 after compiling seven goals in four games at the UCSD Triton Invitational, including her first career hat trick in a 10-9 upset over No. 5 UC Irvine.
The Sun Devils will look to continue building on this season's success next year, as they lose no players to graduation during the 2020 offseason.