Sophie Tovani

Class:
Freshman
Position:
D
Height:
5-10
Hometown:
Danville, Calif.
High School:
San Ramon Valley

Features on Sophie

• For Tovani, Being Part of Community is What It's All About (MGoBlue.com)

Career Stats

Year	GP	G	A	Pts	ShPct	EX	DEX	STL	FB	SPW	SPL
2020	19	4	9	13	.222	18	3	9	0	5	5
2021	26	10	13	23	.333	12	9	15	0	1	0
2022	34	8	7	15	.444	12	3	8	1	0	0
2023	32	18	24	42	.340	33	11	24	0	3	4
Total	111	40	53	93	.334	75	26	56	1	9	9

Career Highs
Points: 9, vs. Pomona-Pitzer (2/25/23)
Goals: 4, vs. vs. Pomona-Pitzer (2/25/23)
Assists: 3, 2x, last vs. Bucknell (2/11/23)
Drawn Exclusions: 3, 3x last vs. Harvard (4/1/23)
Steals: 3, 3x last vs. St. Francis (PA) (4/30/23)
Field Blocks: 1, vs. Bucknell (4/2/22)

At Michigan
• Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts
• Plans to major in communications
• Two NCAA Tournament Appearance (2021,22
• Two-time CWPA Champion (2021, 22)
• Two-time Academic All-Big Ten

Senior (2023)
• Recorded a career high 42 and 24 steals in a season
• Recorded a career high nine points against Pomona-Pitzer (2/25/23)
• Appeared in 32 out of 33 games this season

Junior (2022)
• NCAA Quarterfinals
• CWPA Champions
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Scored two goals against Pomona-Pitzer (2/12/22)
• Finished the season with 8 goals, 7 assists, and 1 field block
• Appeared in 34 games

Sophomore (2021)
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Had eight multi-point games on the season
• Set career-bests in goals (10), assists (13), points (23), drawn exclusions (9) and steals (15)
• Drew two exclusions twice on the campaign, including in a win over #13 Pacific
• Also had a goal, assist, and steal in that victory over the Tigers
• Scored a goal and had a steal in the CWPA Championship against Bucknell
• Played in all four games of the Michigan Invitational, scoring three goals, dishing out two assists and finishing with three steals

Freshman (2020)
• Made her collegiate debut against No. 22 CSUN at the UCSB Winter Invite
• Appeared in four games at the Michigan Invitational with one goal and three assists
• Played in all four games at the UCSB Winter Invite with one goal, one assist and three steals
• Scored her first collegiate goal against No. 4 Cal at the UCSB Winter Invite
• Dished out two assists against No. 2 Stanford at the Stanford Invitational
• End of the season was canceled prior to conference play due to the COVID-19 illness

Prep
• Graduated from San Ramon Valley High School in Danville, Calif. in 2019
• Competes with 680 Drivers Water Polo Association
• Attends San Ramon Valley High School in Danville, Calif.
• Junior Olympics silver medalist in 2018, bronze medalist in 2015
• 2014 J.O. honorable mention All-American
• USA Water Polo Academic All-American in 2018
• Made the USA Water Polo Youth Pacific roster in 2018
• Competed at the 2016 USA Water Polo selection camp
• NISCA/Speedo Girls’ All-American in 2017-18
• Kai-Ca-Hi All-American as a junior
• NCS and NorCal Champions in 2016-17
• Won three EBAL Championships
• Two-time East Bay All League performer
• EBAL North Bay second team in 2017-18
• JV Defensive Player of the Year in 2015-16
• Also on the swim team

Personal
• Full name is Sophia Tovani
• Born in San Ramon, Calif.
• Birthday: September 12, 2001
• Parents are Stephanie and Tony Tovani
• Has two siblings, Sammi and Nicholas
• Father, Tony, was on the swimming team at Long Beach State

Why Michigan
"I chose Michigan for a lot of reasons but a few being the atmosphere and culture. When I came on my junior day visit, we learned that the athletes go and volunteer at Mott's hospital. That small act is what got me hooked. When I was back on my official visit I got the chance to experience what it would be like to be a student athlete at Michigan. Of course the football game was a large factor to my decision but more so the idea that a small town rallies together for one shared goal to support their team. I saw this same idea carried over all over the campus and town in all aspects of daily life. I watched my future coaches give that same support to not only their teams, but their fellow staff and to us. I saw the support and kindness in the act of meeting a stranger on the street. This integrated community is what I want to be a part of and is what I get to be a part of and I couldn't be more excited."

Why Water Polo
"My dad had grown up playing polo and he got my older sister into it and at 7 he thought it was time for me to try it out. At the time, I was also dancing, cheering and swimming. A few practices in, I decided I was not a fan of the sport and wanted to pursue dancing and cheering. Not doing well in either dance or cheer, I came back and tried polo again at 8 or 9 years old. I was playing on the 10u coed team and when I was asked to be on the travel team to a tournament called "Winterfest" I fell in love with it all - the idea of winning, the competitiveness, the physicality. What truly was my hook to the sport was the ability it had to bring my dad and I so close. We have always been close-my whole family- but water polo gave my dad and I something to bond over. Water polo has been a huge passion of my dad's all his life and having that same love for it makes me feel as if i'm living out his passion, along with giving me something to play for every time I jump into that pool. I am so grateful to the sport and the community it has introduced my family to."