LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Despite a fourth-quarter comeback, the No. 7-ranked/No. 5-seeded University of Michigan water polo team never recovered from its early deficit, falling 9-5 against No. 4-ranked/No. 4 seed Arizona State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship First Round/quarterfinals at the University of California-Los Angeles’ Spieker Aquatics Center.
The loss concludes the Wolverines’ season as Michigan finished with a 21-5 overall record and a 6-0 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) record. The Maize & Blue claimed the CWPA championship at home in Canham Natatorium — its fifth consecutive conference title and 10th in program history.
Facing ASU for the third time in 2021 following a 12-10 win on February 26 and a 7-4 loss on February 28 in Temple, Arizona, U-M scored the game’s first goal thanks to a breakaway from senior Maddie O’Reilly on a feed from senior Kathy Rogers. The first quarter saw the two sides play even, 1-1, but ASU took control of the game in the second quarter.
The Sun Devils scored four unanswered goals in the second quarter to distance themselves from the Wolverines, and added the first two goals of the second half to build a 6-1 lead.
U-M started to chip away at the deficit with a pair of goals from freshman Libby Alsemgeest that were both assisted by junior Ava Morrant, but Arizona State did just enough to keep its distance, leading 9-3 at the end of the third.
The Wolverines bounced back in the final stanza, as O’Reilly notched her second goal of the game off an assist from freshman Kata Utassy, and graduate student Emily Byrne cut the deficit to four with an assist from sophomore Anne Rankin, but Michigan ran out of time.
In cage, Heidi Ritner took the loss with nine goals allowed and seven saves in 24 minutes. Sophie Jackson concluded the game with three saves in the fourth quarter.
Information courtesy University of Michigan Athletics Communications
