Luca Petovary Season 2023

ACCOLADES:

• 2024 MPSF Player of the Year
• Two-time ACWPC All-American, (Honorable Mention in 2021, Second-Team in 2024)
• Three-time All-MPSF Honoree
• 2024 All-MPSF Tournament Team
• Named to the 2024 Cutino Watch List in March
• Won four-MPSF weekly awards in her career. Three alone in 2024.

?? MPSF PLAYER OF THE YEAR ??

After a record-breaking season, Luca Petovary earns the program's first @MPSFSports Player of the Year award after leading the conference with 120 goals and 148 points this season!#ForksUp /// #O2V pic.twitter.com/68VYvWKZmC

— Sun Devil Water Polo (@SunDevilWP) April 24, 2024

Senior (2024)

• Named 2024 MPSF Player of the year for her record breaking 122 goals, 29 assists for 151 points, along with 32 drawn exclusions, 27 steals and 15-field blocks.
  • The honor is the second major award in Sun Devil Water Polo history (Vanda Baska, 2022 MPSF Freshman of the Year) and the first time a Sun Devil has won MPSF Player of the Year.
• Named to the MPSF All-Tournament Team for her performance and named to the First-team All-MPSF.
• Scored in 30 of 31 games this season, including 28 multi-goal games, including 11 games with five goals or more and 25 hat tricks.
• Finishes her Sun Devil Career as the programs all-time leading scorer with 252 goals, and having the most goals in a season with 122 goals. Petovary is second in program history with 331 points in her career and is one of two Sun Devils to surpass 300 points in a career. She holds the MPSF and ASU record for most goals in a game with 10 against Mount St. Mary's.
• Converted two penalty shots against No. 5 USC in the MPSF tournament. then recorded a steal, an assists and three field-blocks in the victory against No. 12 Indiana. 
• Recorded a goal against No. 14 Indiana in the win, and recorded her 25th hat trick of the year against No. 4 USC, breaking the MPSF record for most goals in a season with 120.
• Earned another hat trick against Ottawa for a three-point game on Mar. 30
• Against No. 5 Cal, she recorded three goals and an assist
• Had a three-point game (two goals and one assist) against Stanford on Mar. 24.
• In the Mar. 23 victory over San Jose State, she scored six goals and had three assists (9 points). It was the 11th game she has tallied five goals or more this season. 
• Scored two goals against Harvard on Mar. 9, tallying one assist as well. 
• In the Convergence Tournament, she tallied 22 goals in four games, including three of the four games scoring 5+ goals. She became the seventh MPSF player in history to score 100 goals in a season, and the first Sun Devil to do so. 
  • Lastly, she became the second Sun Devil to tally 300 points in a career over the weekend. 
• In a game against Mount St. Mary's, she broke the MPSF and ASU record for most games in a game with 10. In the process of doing so, she became the new record holder for most goals in a season. (85)
• Tallied Five goals against No. 12 Long Beach State, then followed up her performance with seven goals on eight shots against Pomona-Pitzer, her fifth career game with 7+ goals in a game. She one-goal against UC San Diego broke a streak of 15 straight games with 3+ goals, but started a new one with three against No. 8 Michigan. As of Feb. 25, she has 78 goals for the season and is seven away from breaking the program record for most goals in a season.
• Scored seven goals against No. 1 UCLA on Feb. 17, the fourth time she's scored 7+ goals in a game. Added three more in the win against Cal State Fullerton (Feb. 17)
• Tallied 20 goals during the ASU Invitational, including four assists in the four game period with four steals. 
• Named MPSF player of the week for the second consecutive week after her performance in the ASU Invitational.
• Against Marist on Feb. 10, she broke the program record for most goals in a game by a Sun Devil with nine goals, also tying the MPSF record. Tallying 12 points in the victory.
• Named MPSF player of the week after tallying 15 goals against top-ranked competition at the Triton Invitational (Feb. 6)
• Tallied a career-tying seven goals against No. 20 Wagner, whilst also having four assists for 11 points.
  • The mark makes her the only Sun Devil to have multiple games with 10 points or more in a game and seven goals or more in a game.
• As of Jan. 21st, Luca is currently eighth on the all-time scoring list with 147 career goals.
• Appeared in four games this weekend at the Cross Conference challenge. She scored 24 points consisting of 17 goals and seven assists in the span of those four games
• Scored in all four games at the Triton Invite. She tallied 15 goals and two assists.

Year	Goals	Assists	Points	Steals
2021	45	12	57	14
2022	32	13	44	8
2023	53	25	78	35
2024	122	29	151	27
Total	252	79	331	84

Junior (2023):

• Ranked second on the team in goals with a career high of 53, only behind freshman Juliette Dhalluin.
• Registered a career-high 25 assists this season, after her first two years in the program she had 25 assists combined.
  • Had a career-high seven assists against Salem.
• Recorded 12 multi-goal games throughout the season.
• Tallied 35 steals, including six steals in a single game against Salem on 3/11.
• Broke the program record for most points with 14 in a game with a career-high of seven goals and seven assists in the win over Salem on March 11.
• Earned a spot on the MPSF All-Academic team for the second consecutive year.
• Enters the 2024 season on a five-game goal streak

Sophomore (2022):

• Her 32 goals were third-most on the team behind Amira Van Buren (37) and Vanda Baksa (73)
• She notched 13 assists on the year
• had a 13 game scoring streak during the season that spanned from 2/11/22-3/18/22
• She matched her season-high 5 goals on 2/11/22 against CSUEB with 5 goals and 2 assists
• Also had a season-high points against CSUEB on 2/11/22 with 7.
• Named to the MPSF All-Academic team with her 3.10 GPA.
• Defensively, she had 8 steals and 7 field blocks on the year.

Freshman (2021):

• Led the team with 45 goals, which was sixth best in the NCAA. 
• Her 45 goals are sixth best in program history for season goals scored as a freshman, and her 57 points (45-12) are sixth on the single season points as a freshman.
• Scored a goal in all but two games this season (24 of 26).
• Had 12 multi goal performances, including five games of three or more goals.
• Worked both sides of the ball, with 14 steals and 14 field blocks. Her 14 field blocks were tied for seventh best in the NCAA.
• Had a career high five goals in both games against No. 17 San Diego State.
• Petovary picked up two MPSF honors including being named to the MPSF All-Newcomer team, and an All-MPSF Honorable Mention.
• Two time MPSF Newcomer of the week.

Single Game Career-Highs For Luca Petovary:
Goals: 7 vs. Salem (03/11/2023)
Assists: 7 vs. Salem (03/11/2023)
Points: 14 vs. Salem (03/11/2023) (Program Record)
Steals: 6 vs. Salem (03/11/2023)


Previous:

• Luca played for 3rd Ker TVE in Hungary. Petovary is a three-time Hungarian Youth National Champion and competed at the 2017 Youth European Championships, placing third.
• She also competed at the FINA Youth World Championships in 2018 in Belgrade, Serbia and the FINA Junior World Championships in 2019 in Funchal, Portugal.
• Petovary has played competitive water polo in Canada as well, where she recently finished second at the 2019 Canadian National Championship and was the Canadian Junior Championship top scorer. 

Q&A with Luca:
What made you choose to come to ASU? The great business school and the very good water polo team.
What do you wish people knew more about the sport of Water Polo? I wish more people would play the sport so it could be as famous as basketball or football.
Most common question people ask you about Water Polo… “how can you swim and "stand" in the water at the same time?”
Where are you from? Hungary
What is something unique about your hometown? It is the city of artists.
Where is your favorite place to eat in Arizona? Bodhy
Do you have any game day superstitions? Yes, but it is more like before every game.
If you could meet any professional athlete/celebrity who would it be and why? Zac Efron, he is my favorite actor.
What is your go-to warm up song? Without me-Eminem.
Favorite Water Polo memory? When we won the bronze medal game in a Junior European Championship back in 2017.
Which hobbies do you have outside of Water Polo? I usually hang out with my friends, and hiking(and anything outdoors).
If you had to play another sport which would you choose? Handball.
What do you enjoy most about ASU? The team
Something many people might not know about you? I still have a decidous tooth.
How do you spend your off days? With my friends or resting.
Skip shot or lob? Skip Shot.
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Nutella, banana, and pistachio.
What show could you binge watch? Game of Thrones
Does Pineapple belong on pizza? NO!  
Are you a morning or night person? Night.
What is your major? Business Management.
If you could be any animal what would you be and why? Dolphin, I would discover the whole ocean.
What are your current personal goals?  Finish my first year successfully both in school and in water polo.
What is your biggest fear? Snakes.
Who is your biggest hero? My Dad.