Card earns third water polo All-American honor at Cal Lu

Putting up impressive numbers, making a huge impact and leading her team were some of the results of a successful senior season at California Lutheran University for women’s water polo player Jordan Card.

But for Card, a 2011 Burbank High graduate, her final campaign for the Regals was not an anomaly. Card enjoyed a successful four-year career at Cal Lutheran, breaking records and hauling in accolades.

Card definitely saved her best for last, as she led the team in goals and set a new Regals career mark for drawn ejections during her senior season this past spring.

Rewarded for her efforts, Card was named an Assn. of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches Division III All-America selection, as released Monday on the Cal Lutheran website. It was Card’s third straight All-America honor, as she earned second-team recognition her sophomore and junior campaigns.

Cal Lutheran teammates, Amanda Jones and Gina Merry, both juniors, were named to All-American honorable mention.

“Having made it before, I was hoping to make it again this year,” Card said. “But I had only made the second team the two times before, so to make it on the first team this him is really an honor because I know they only take one hole-set for each team.

“I just see the girls that made the first team and the talent that they have and gust to be there among them is amazing.”

Card, who was also named an All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference first-team selection this past season, became Cal Lutheran’s all-time leader in drawn ejections with 224. She also proved to be a stalwart in the pool for the Regals, playing in all 29 matches. Card tallied a team-high in goals with 56 and had 89 drawn ejections (second all-time in a single season for the program), while adding 23 steals, 18 assists and nine field blocks.

In her final collegiate match, Card had five drawn ejections in a 16-10 win over Redlands in the final game of the SCIAC tournament. Card also showed her offensive prowess in the game, scoring a career-best five goals to go along with two assists.

“Jordan is hands down one of the most tough, focused, hard-working and talented players I have coached at Cal Lutheran,” Regals Coach Craig Rond stated on the university’s website. “Not only did she earn a number of top-10 season and all-time marks in the record books, but she was always striving to get better in the pool.”

Unfortunately for Cal Lutheran it endured its share of struggles during the season, finishing with a 9-20 record and a 5-7 showing in conference.

Over her career, Card, who led Cal Lutheran in goals the past three seasons, finished with 179 goals, good enough for third on the Regals’ all-time list. She also tallied 51 assists and 85 steals.

“When I’m in there on offense, I’m just trying to score any way that I can,” said Card, who graduated in May with a degree in math. “In practice, I try and get my teammates kicked out with ejections because it’s funny, but when it comes to a game it’s all serious. If I can draw an ejection, I’m just hoping that will spark us and help out the team.”

Card’s collegiate accolades came after a smooth transition playing at Burbank High, where she enjoyed a record-setting tenure, as well. Card scored 132 goals during her senior campaign in 2011, setting a new single-season school mark. In addition, she collected 68 steals and had 22 assists and 15 blocks. She already set the Burbank career goals mark the previous season after tallying 99 as a junior.

Along with winning All-CIF Southern Section honors, Card was named the Pacific League Player of the Year in her final season at Burbank.

Looking back on her career at Cal Lutheran, Card said she knows she made the right choice and not just for water polo.

“I was looking at some other schools that were higher than Division III,” Card said. “But education was most important to me and that’s why I picked Cal Lutheran.

“But water polo-wise, I couldn’t be happier. I was helped out a lot when I first got there and I tried to give back and help some of the other girls with the knowledge that I have this past season.”