COSTA MESA, Calif. – Sun Devil Water Polo finished ninth overall at the inaugural Legacy Crown tournament last weekend, hosted by USA Water Polo, to finish fall play.
Arizona State finished 3-1 in the two-day tournament, highlighted by a three-game winning streak after falling short in the tournament opener to California, 14-10. ASU went on to beat Los Angeles Athletic Club 19-2, UC Irvine 12-10, and USA Red Academy 15-11.
The veterans set the tone across the four-game weekend, with sophomore Itziar Almeda leading the charge on offense with an impressive 11 goals. Senior Sophie Shorter Robinson added seven of her own, providing steady production from the team's most experienced players and helping to set the pace from game to game.
The highly-regarded freshman class backed them up with a breakout performance over the two days. Dominika Kardos made an immediate impact with nine goals, while Maci Magee followed with six and Iris Vreeling added five.
Senior goalkeeper Sanne Keijzer anchored the defensive end with 21 blocks across the four games, giving the team stability. And in one of the tournament’s biggest moments, sophomore Keri Glad stepped up as the player of the game in the third match against UC Irvine, delivering a clutch performance that highlighted the team’s balance on both ends of the pool.
"For our first real test of where we stand, I feel great about how our offseason has gone" Coach Pardi remarked. "With nine true freshmen and 10 new players on the roster, going up against Cal as the opening game and pushing them hard into the final eight minutes – even without last season's top scorer, Millie Quin – is a strong sign that we're headed into the right direction. We definitely had some weaknesses exposed that we'll need to tighten up, but we also saw a lot of grit and toughness from this group. Overall, I'm proud of this team and excited for January so we can play for keeps."
With the four-game slate wrapped up, the Sun Devils now shift into a two-month break before the 2026 season gets underway.
Match 1: ASU 10, CAL 14
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL | |
| ASU | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
| CAL | 3 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 14 |
ASU scoring: Itziar Almeda (3), Dominika Kardos (4), Laura Kardos (1), Maci Magee (1), Sophie Shorter-Robinson (1)
Match 2: ASU 19, LAAC 2
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL | |
| ASU | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 19 |
| LAAC | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
ASU scoring: Itziar Almeda (2), Jelena Butic (2), Kat Featherstone (2), Lulu Gaetano (1), Maci Magee (3), Leila Meraz (2), Sophie Shorter-Robinson (3), Miya Tirosh (1), Iris Vreeling (3)
Match 3: ASU 12, UCI 10
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL | |
| ASU | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 12 |
| UCI | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 10 |
ASU scoring: Itziar Almeda (5), Dominika Kardos (2), Maci Magee (2), Sophie Shorter-Robinson (1), Miya Tirosh (1), Iris Vreeling (1)
Match 4: ASU 15, USA RED 11
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL | |
| ASU | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 15 |
| USA RED | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
ASU scoring: Itziar Almeda (1), Jelena Butic (2), Dominika Kardos (3), Laura Kardos (2), Leila Meraz (1), Sophie Shorter-Robinson (2), Nioka Thomas (2), Miya Tirosh (1), Iris Vreeling (1)
Follow along
Follow Sun Devil Water Polo on SunDevils.com, X @sundevilwp, Instagram @sundevilwaterpolo and Facebook all season long for coverage of the team. Matches are broadcast on Overnght and live stats are available on 6-8 Sports.