The Santa Barbara Water Polo Club capped off an outstanding weekend at the 2025 Champions Cup, earning third place in one of the nation’s premier age-group tournaments held at Indiana University’s Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center.
Under the guidance of Head Coach Mark Walsh, Santa Barbara’s talented roster – Brylyn Abel, Abby Baer, Cassidy Beard, Ava Blanco, Reese Bryant, Zia Ma, Sia McAvoy, Grace McGeoy, Campbell McGinnis, KK Walsh, and goalie Avery Wickman – battled through six highly competitive games to post a 4-2 record.
Tournament Recap
Santa Barbara opened the tournament with a tough 7–6 loss to San Diego Shores, a perennial powerhouse. Demonstrating resilience and determination, the team rebounded with a string of wins, including decisive victories over West Suburban (18–4) and Commerce (9–7), securing their place in the semifinals.
In the semifinal matchup, Santa Barbara faced eventual tournament champion Diablo, falling in a hard-fought 4–2 defensive duel – Diablo’s narrowest margin of the entire event.
The team regrouped for the bronze medal game and delivered a statement performance, defeating San Diego Shores 7–6 in a thrilling rematch to secure third place overall.
“Our girls showed tremendous grit and composure,” said Head Coach Mark Walsh. “We lost to Shores in the opening round by one, but the team learned from it, made adjustments, and came back to beat them in the third-place game. To play the eventual champion as closely as we did shows just how far this group has come.”