Laguna’s Fischer is Orange Coast League MVP in girls’ water polo

Months after helping the U.S. women’s water polo team win gold at the Rio Olympics, Laguna Beach High senior Aria Fischer earned Orange Coast League MVP honors in girls’ water polo.

Fischer is joined by Laguna senior attacker Bella Baldridge, senior utility player Claire Sonne and junior goalie Thea Walsh on the first team all-league. Costa Mesa senior goalie Michelle Vu, senior utility player Brenna Alvis and sophomore utility player Sophia Rice also earned first-team accolades, as did Estancia senior goalie Hannah Smith and sophomore driver Katelyn Chesemore.

Fischer, who helped the Breakers (31-0) earn their third CIF Southern Section Division 1 title in four years, also earned Division 1 Player of the Year honors.

Fischer, bound for Stanford, led Laguna with 103 goals and had 58 assists, which was second on the team to Baldridge. She also led the Breakers in steals with 61.

Baldridge, a repeat first-team honoree also bound for Stanford, was second on the Breakers with 82 goals scored and was second in Orange County with 91 assists, which was a Breakers single-season record. She also had 59 steals, second on the team.

Sonne, bound for Cal, was third on Laguna Beach with 61 goals, adding 44 assists, which was third on the team, and 19 steals.

Walsh made 298 saves, a Laguna single-season record that was third in Orange County.

Baldridge and Walsh were also both first-team All-CIF Division 1 honorees.

Vu, Alvis and Rice were instrumental pieces for Costa Mesa (18-12), which finished second in the league and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Division 6 playoffs before losing at Redlands East Valley, 6-3.

Vu made 280 saves, which ranked fifth in Orange County. She was a repeat first-team all-league selection.

So was Rice, who was second on Mesa in goals scored (74) while leading the Mustangs in assists (64) and steals (64).

Alvis led Costa Mesa with 76 goals scored, adding 39 assists and 55 steals.

Chesemore scored 77 goals to lead Estancia and help the Eagles make history. Estancia (13-7), which finished third in league, won its first two playoff games in program history before bowing out at top-seeded eventual champion Santa Ynez, 9-2, in the quarterfinals of the Division 7 playoffs.

Second-team all-league selections included Laguna Beach junior attackers Sophia Lucas and Evan Tingler, Costa Mesa senior center defender Lauren Kiefer and junior utility Kaylie Tickenoff, and Estancia senior center Hayley Hopp and driver Julia Paluch.