Meet The Coaches

Head Coach Victoria Older has played water polo for 11 years, competing with Park City Water Polo, Olympus Water Polo, and Utah Premier. Her junior year of high school, she revived the Skyline Water Polo team after advocating for pool time with her swim coach. Victoria grew up on the bench watching her dad coach collegiate games, and she has competed in multiple Junior Olympics and attended ODP camps, always seeking to grow in the sport and learn something new. She coached at Mesa Water Polo Club, has played for multiple clubs in the Utah area, and trained internationally — spending a summer in Italy with USA Water Polo Hall of Famer Cassie Azevedo and later playing for Sesi São Paulo in Brazil. an interesting fact — she was voted Miss Avondale a couple of years ago! In 2024, she was the recipient of the Sandy Nitta Award, recognizing her dedication and impact in the sport. She's a dedicated and personable coach, committed to helping athletes grow at every level. She is excited to share her experience and love for the game.

Mariah Hagemann is the founder and director of Phoenix Water Polo, which she established in 2024 to expand access to the sport in Arizona. She began her playing career in Southern California, competing at Granite Hills High School in El Cajon, where she participated in two CIF Championship seasons. Her youth career included time with Coronado Water Polo Club, and she continued playing at the collegiate level at Grossmont Community College. Mariah leads recreational water polo programming at the Avondale Aquatic Complex, contracted through the City of Avondale. Together, they work closely with city partners to introduce new athletes to the sport and build foundational skills in an inclusive environment.

In 2025, Mariah and her staff achieved a historic milestone by taking the first Arizona-based girls’ water polo team to compete at the Rocktober Tournament. Notably, every athlete on the roster was developed entirely through Arizona-based programming, marking a major step forward for girls’ water polo in the state.

Since 2023, she has been actively developing girls’ and women’s water polo programs in Phoenix and continues working toward expanding competitive opportunities for female athletes. Her mission is to create welcoming, high-quality programs that empower athletes, strengthen local communities, and ensure the long-term growth of water polo in Arizona.

Meet Assistant Coach Grace Patton!

Grace Patton began her competitive aquatic career in swimming, training and competing at both the club and high school levels from 2009–2020. Her strong swimming foundation naturally transitioned into water polo, where she competed for Ridgeview High School in Redmond, Oregon (2017–2019) and played club water polo with Bend Waves (2017–2020), gaining extensive experience in competitive play, team dynamics, and skill development.

Grace continued her aquatics journey at the University of Idaho, where she played club water polo and worked as a lifeguard. These experiences strengthened her understanding of athlete safety, conditioning, and the technical aspects of the sport.

Currently, Grace is a medical student at Midwestern University. Her medical background enhances her coaching approach, emphasizing injury prevention, biomechanics, conditioning, and overall athlete well-being. She is passionate about developing fundamentally strong, confident athletes who understand both the physical and mental aspects of the game.

Outside of the pool, Grace enjoys skiing, camping, hiking, and spending as much time outdoors as possible. She is married and loves relaxing at home with her two cats, Rito and Blu.