Men's Water Polo Q&A: Balazs Kosa

Balazs Kosa is a freshman from Budapest, Hungary. He played for the Hungarian Junior National Team, and took third place at the Junior World Championship and seventh place in the Junior European Championship before coming to Pepperdine, where he has continued to shine. He talked to us about his recent outstanding seven-goal feat against Pacific (and he had another one against Santa Clara after this interview took place) and how his freshman year has been so far:

Q: Well done on your recent performances, including a seven-goal effort for the team against Pacific. What do you think helped you achieve this feat?

A: I would say my teammates because without their help I couldn't achieve this feat. They gave me good assists throughout the match, so they made room for me to score so many goals.

Q: What role do you play on the team?

A: I play the position of 1-2 side because I am right-handed. In water polo, every player plays the role of both offense and defense, and everybody has to attack.

Q: How has your first semester been here?

A: It has been really good. I like it so much here, I enjoy living in the U.S. and playing water polo for the school. So, it has been a great experience so far.

Q: What made you choose Pepperdine?

A: Two summers ago I was here playing for the San Diego Sharks team. And, I asked a lot of people about going to school here, and everyone said Pepperdine is a great school with a great team, so I started sending emails and I got in contact with the coaches here, and I got in.

Q: What was the transition from Hungary like for you?

A: It was hard. But you have to look forward to the opportunities ahead and see your goals at the end of the day. Coming from Europe, it wasn't that hard to fit in and adjust here because I find both places to have a lot of similarities and not many differences.

Q: What do you enjoy most about being a student-athlete?

A: I enjoy being a part of the team, they are like my family. They are very encouraging and I don't miss home much when I am around them. I also enjoy being a business administration major because I love that I have the opportunity to play water polo and get an education at the same time here at Pepperdine.

Q: What would you like to have achieved by the time you graduate?

A: Probably speak English fluently as if it was my first language. I would like to make really good connections and make more friends. I want to play at the highest level during my four years here on the team, and I would love to make it to the NCAA Championships.

Players Mentioned

Balazs Kosa

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