Ikaika Aki returned to LMU ahead of the Spring 2023 season as the third head coach of the women's water polo program. Aki is in his third season as head coach in LMU in 2025.Aki brought the Lions back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012.
In 2025, LMU women’s water polo, went undefeated in conference play for the second consecutive season, won the Golden Coast Conference Tournament title for the first time since 2015, and returned to the NCAA Championships for the program’s first time since 2012. The historic season ended with the Lions ranked seventh nationally in the final polls of both the CWPA and ACWPC final polls. Aki mentored the GCC Player of the Year Ruth Arino Ruiz, who won the award in back-to-back seasons, ahead of earning his first GCC Coach of the Year honor.
The 2024 season saw tremendous success as Aki guided the Lions to a 27-3 record and undefeated 7-0 mark in Golden Coast Conference games. The Lions did not lose a game between Feb. 3, 2024, and Apr. 27, 2024, as part of the program-record 20-game win streak. LMU posted a 9-0 mark at home.
Aki returned to the Lions after serving the as the head coach of both the boy’s and girl’s water polo teams at San Clemente High School. Prior to taking the head job with the Tritons, Aki served two seasons each as an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s programs at LMU beginning in 2019 and helped navigate the Lions through the shortened 2020 spring season.
Aki joined the LMU coaching staff as an assistant coach for both the men's and women's water polo programs in July 2019 following a decorated career playing for men's head coach John Loughran.
In his first season as assistnat with the men’s program, Aki helped lead the 2019 men’s team to the program’s first winning record since 2012 and a #16 final ranking. On the women’s side, LMU finished the shortened season tied for 12th nationally following upset wins over then #12 Long Beach State and #13 San Jose State in the UC Irvine Invitational.
Aki finished his career as Conference Player of the Year in the Western Water Polo Association in 2010 and as a two-time AWPCA Honorable Mention All-America. The Honolulu, Hawaii, native graduated as the LMU men’s program’s all-time record holder in steals and blocks, and second in career assists.
As A Player
Briefly... Ikaika Aki played every game in four seasons of action... served a redshirt season in 2006... played in 118 games total...
Records... First player to reach the century mark in all major stat categories... finished career ranked 19th all-time with 105 career goals... ranked 2nd with 109 career assists... holds the record for career steals with 176... holds the record for career field blocks with 119... his 70 steals in 2009 ranked third all-time, while his 62 this season (2010) is fifth... 50 field blocks in 2009 was the most in program history... 45 assists in 2010 is ranked second all-time for a single season...
Honors...
2010... AWPCA Honorable Mention All-American... WWPA Player of the Year... First-Team WWPA All-Conference... second-team NCAA All-Tournament... WWPA Player of the Week Sept. 8...
2009... ACWPC Third-Team All-American... First-Team WWPA All-Conference... First-Team WWPA All-Tournament...
Highlights At LMU...
2010... Was named the player of the year in the WWPA and finishes season with 25 goals, 45 assists, 62 steals and 33 field blocks... scored a hat-trick in the overtime win at Long Beach State, scoring the final goal of regulation and then both goals in overtime to win it... scored a goal in all three WWPA tournament games... had back-to-back four-steal performances in big road wins at UC Davis and Santa Clara... had at least one steal in every game except five...
2009... Became one of the WWPA's top players, finishing with a career-best 39 goals, 27 assists, 70 steals and 50 field blocks.... finished third on the team in scoring while ranking first in steals and field blocks... had a program-record seven field blocks against UCSD and a program-best nine steals against Claremont... finished season scoring in seven straight games, including four against Long Beach State, a career-best...
2008... Finished the season with 26 goals in 55 attempts (47.3 percent)... added 33 steals which led the team... also had 29 field blocks, also a team high... had six goals in the WWPA Tournament... went 2-for-3 with two field blocks and an assist in title game against UC San Diego (11/23/08)...
2007... In his first season of action, played in all 30 games with 15 goals... led the team with 23 assists and added 11 steals... had a career-best three assists in a single game three times on the year... had five games with two goals, including the win over Santa Clara in the WWPA semifinals... scored against Navy (12/2/07) in NCAA tournament... had an assist in each NCAA game... 2006... redshirt season...
Prior to LMU... Graduated from Punahou School in 2006... Participated with both the water polo and swim programs... a two-time ILH Player of the Year selection, earning it in the 2004 and 2005 seasons... also earned California-Hawaii All-American honors those two seasons, earning fourth-team as a junior and third-team as a senior... was a four-time ILH All-Star selection, earning first-team honors his final three seasons... also played for the Hawaiian Islands Water polo Team... in 2003 he helped the Under-16 Team win the Hawaiian Islands Water Polo Tournament and was named MVP... in 2004 he was awarded the Brad Yim Award as the best male water polo player at the Hawaiian Islands Tournament... as a senior he was a state finalist for the swim team in the 100-yard breast stroke and the 200-yard IM...
