By Despite being plagued by uncertainty, this year’s men’s varsity water polo season—which ended a week ago with Cal capturing a record 15th NCAA title thanks to a 13-12 win over USC in the 2021 title match—represented a much-needed return to normalcy. The uncertainty was due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic,
Men’s College Water Polo Week One: Fordham Up; Pepperdine, Harvard Down
Notable changes in this week’s Collegiate Water Polo Association Men’s Varsity Poll: Pepperdine dropped five spots due to a loss to host UC San Diego at the Triton Invitational; Harvard dropped seven spots due to a loss at home to Fordham—a decision that pushed the Rams up four spots into
Talent-laden USC Begins ’21 Campaign MPSF, NCAA Favorites
Despite any protestations to the contrary, there’s no real parity in men’s college water polo. Over a half-century of NCAA championship play, only three programs outside the “Big Four” have won a national championship: UC Irvine (three times) Pepperdine (once) and UC Santa Barbara (once). Do the math: that’s less
Sixth is Better Than Tenth… But No Gold in Tokyo for US Men’s Water Polo
Prior to the 2016 Olympics in Rio, in what became a notable moment for a sport not particularly known for being notable, U.S. men’s water polo coach Dejan Udovicic made a bold prediction to ESPN: “I am guaranteeing it,” Udovicic said. “Gold medal in 2020.” He was half right. For
By Pod: Tokyo Olympian, Greek-American, Stephania Haralabidis
One of the most interesting stories about this monster roster that is the USA Women’s Olympic Water Polo Team, which is expected to win gold beginning on July 24 in Tokyo, is Stephania Haralabidis. Born and raised in Greece but already a dual citizen she made the tough decision to
Gauchos Make Early-season Case for Top Ranking
A win over Cal a week ago was treated as something of an upset for UC Santa Barbara’s men’s water polo team, though the Bears are in rebuilding mode after graduating some key senior talent. Any doubts about the team from Goleta have been largely squashed after the Gauchos comfortably
#2 Stanford Holds Off #3 USC, Advances to MPSF Final
The #2 Stanford Cardinal needed all the defensive prowess they could muster to stop the #3 Trojans of USC, taking a 6-5 decision in the semifinals of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation’s (MPSF) Women’s Water Polo Tournament. Anchored by goalie Gabby Stone and a bend-but-don’t break approach towards the explosive SC
Baron, Everist Earn Top Water Polo Awards
USC goalkeeper McQuin Baron ended a memorable year with his first Player of the Year award. The Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches released their All-America selections for 2016 on Monday. Cal Head Coach Kirk Everest was chosen as Division I Coach of the Year. Baron is also a finalist for
