Thursday, September 16
Malibu, Calif.
12:00 p.m. PT
Pepperdine University
vs
Westcliff
Kaden Kaneko
Photo by: Roger Horne
#10 Men's Water Polo Set for Four Home Games
9/15/2021 12:34:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
MALIBU, California — After playing on the road the first two weekends, the #10 Pepperdine men's water polo team comes home to a busy week with four games over three days in the Waves' own pool, two of them against top-five teams.
GAME #7 — Thursday (Sept. 16) at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool in Malibu, Calif.: #10 Pepperdine (4-2) vs. Westcliff (1-3, plays at Biola on Wednesday) at 12 p.m.
GAME #8 — Thursday (Sept. 16) at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool in Malibu, Calif.: #10 Pepperdine vs. #5 UC Santa Barbara (8-1) at 5 p.m. (note: Westcliff and UC Santa Barbara will play at 2:30 p.m.)
GAME #9 — Saturday (Sept. 18) at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool in Malibu, Calif.: #10 Pepperdine vs. #3 Stanford (8-0) at 1 p.m.
GAME #10 — Saturday (Sept. 18) at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool in Malibu, Calif.: #10 Pepperdine vs. #11 Princeton (7-2, plays at LMU on Saturday) at 5:30 p.m.
WATCH/ONLINE — All four Pepperdine matches will be streamed via WaveCasts. Links to streaming and live stats will be available at PepperdineWaves.com.
TICKETS — Tickets to all Pepperdine home men's water polo games in 2021 will be available via e-ticket ONLY. Patrons must purchase tickets to any event prior to arriving on campus. Individuals without tickets to an event will not be allowed on campus. Pepperdine faculty, staff and students must show Pepperdine ID card for entry — no ticket purchase is required. To purchase e-tickets and read the spectator guidelines, visit: https://gowav.es/WavesTix. Due to campus construction, nearby parking may be limited and guests are advised to arrive early.
OPPONENTS — This will be the first meeting between Pepperdine and Westcliff, an NAIA program ... Pepperdine is 62-53 all-time against UC Santa Barbara, including a 27-19 record in home games ... Pepperdine is 12-81 all-time against Stanford. The Waves' last win came in 2008 ... Pepperdine is 2-0 all-time against Princeton, with wins in 2006 and 2018.
LAST WEEK — The Waves had a tough matchup at #2 USC and lost 22-7 on Saturday, but came back less than 24 hours later to post a thrilling 11-10 overtime win at PCH Cup rival and #20 Loyola Marymount. Nico Tierney scored two of his four goals at the end of regulation to send the game to overtime. The Waves scored twice in the final 15 seconds of OT, one on a Balazs Kosa goal, the other on an Anthony D'Ambra game-winner with one second remaining.
MILESTONES — Balazs Kosa, who ranks 12th all-time at Pepperdine with 194 career goals, is close to becoming the 12th Wave ever to record 200 goals ... Sean Ferrari is at 99 career goals and is about to become the 43rd Wave to hit the century mark.
KOSA — Senior attacker Balazs Kosa is putting together one of the best careers in Pepperdine history. He's a three-time All-American, making the third team in 2018, the second team in 2019 and the first team in 2020-21. He led the country in scoring during the abbreviated spring 2021 season, scoring 39 times in 14 games. He scored 93 goals in the full 2019 season.
POLLS — The Waves were #5 in the preseason CWPA coaches poll. Outside of the abbreviated spring 2021 season when fewer teams were competing, the last time the Waves started in the top five was 2009 ... The Waves were picked fourth in the preseason GCC coaches poll. The order went UC Santa Barbara, Pacific, Long Beach State, Pepperdine, San Jose State and UC Irvine.
USA WATER POLO — Christian Hosea, Travis Reynolds and Nico Tierney missed the opening weekend of the season as they were competing with the U.S. Junior National Team at the FINA Men's Junior World Championship in the Czech Republic. The U.S. finished in seventh place ... This summer, Pepperdine alum Jesse Smith tied a USA Water Polo record when he competed in his fifth Olympics.
ROSTER NUMBERS — The Waves' 27-man roster breakdown is eight seniors, seven juniors, seven sophomores, one redshirt freshman and four true freshmen. Twenty-two of the 23 letterwinners from the spring season are back this fall, which accounts for 87.9% of the goal-scoring (167/190). One Wave — Coleman Carpenter — is back for a fifth season after utilizing a COVID-19 redshirt year.
SCHEDULE — The Waves will have seven home games spread over five dates in September and October. Their first two GCC games are at home against UC Irvine and Pacific, and then they'll play their final three on the road. In non-conference play, Pepperdine will get Stanford and California at home, and will visit defending NCAA champion UCLA and USC. After only playing 14 times in the spring, the Waves are slated to have a normal schedule of at least 25 regular-season contests.
LAST SEASON — The fall 2020 season was pushed to spring 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Waves finished with a #5 national ranking and went 11-3 overall. The sport saw a number of opt-outs, and only Pepperdine and San Jose State competed from the GCC. The Waves won the championship series title by taking four of five games. Balazs Kosa led the nation in scoring and made the All-American first team, while Curtis Jarvis and Nico Tierney were honorable mention.
WATER POLO HISTORY — Pepperdine won the NCAA title in 1997. That was the last time a school other than California, Stanford, UCLA or USC won the championship. The Waves' exceptional water polo history also includes 12 conference titles, a top-10 ranking in 44 of the last 45 years, and a top-five finish 21 times. Pepperdine has had 59 players earn All-American honors a total of 106 times. Three Waves — Mike Grier (1984), Geoffrey Clark (1991) and Alan Herrmann (1997) — were named the national player of the year. Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool hosted the 1984 Olympic water polo competition and the 2000 NCAA Championships.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY — Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won NCAA Division I championships in five different men's sports — one of just 18 schools to have accomplished this feat — and 10 overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment, is the only school without football and is the only university that has not been affiliated with a "major" conference. The Waves have won a total of 26 team or individual national championships in their history. Pepperdine has also earned the Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy, an award based on postseason success that's given to the top non-football school, three times (most recently in 2011-12). Located in scenic Malibu, California, the university overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its campus and athletic facilities are regularly voted among the nation's most beautiful. Pepperdine, which is affiliated with the Church of Christ, ranks #49 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
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GAME #7 — Thursday (Sept. 16) at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool in Malibu, Calif.: #10 Pepperdine (4-2) vs. Westcliff (1-3, plays at Biola on Wednesday) at 12 p.m.
GAME #8 — Thursday (Sept. 16) at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool in Malibu, Calif.: #10 Pepperdine vs. #5 UC Santa Barbara (8-1) at 5 p.m. (note: Westcliff and UC Santa Barbara will play at 2:30 p.m.)
GAME #9 — Saturday (Sept. 18) at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool in Malibu, Calif.: #10 Pepperdine vs. #3 Stanford (8-0) at 1 p.m.
GAME #10 — Saturday (Sept. 18) at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool in Malibu, Calif.: #10 Pepperdine vs. #11 Princeton (7-2, plays at LMU on Saturday) at 5:30 p.m.
WATCH/ONLINE — All four Pepperdine matches will be streamed via WaveCasts. Links to streaming and live stats will be available at PepperdineWaves.com.
TICKETS — Tickets to all Pepperdine home men's water polo games in 2021 will be available via e-ticket ONLY. Patrons must purchase tickets to any event prior to arriving on campus. Individuals without tickets to an event will not be allowed on campus. Pepperdine faculty, staff and students must show Pepperdine ID card for entry — no ticket purchase is required. To purchase e-tickets and read the spectator guidelines, visit: https://gowav.es/WavesTix. Due to campus construction, nearby parking may be limited and guests are advised to arrive early.
OPPONENTS — This will be the first meeting between Pepperdine and Westcliff, an NAIA program ... Pepperdine is 62-53 all-time against UC Santa Barbara, including a 27-19 record in home games ... Pepperdine is 12-81 all-time against Stanford. The Waves' last win came in 2008 ... Pepperdine is 2-0 all-time against Princeton, with wins in 2006 and 2018.
LAST WEEK — The Waves had a tough matchup at #2 USC and lost 22-7 on Saturday, but came back less than 24 hours later to post a thrilling 11-10 overtime win at PCH Cup rival and #20 Loyola Marymount. Nico Tierney scored two of his four goals at the end of regulation to send the game to overtime. The Waves scored twice in the final 15 seconds of OT, one on a Balazs Kosa goal, the other on an Anthony D'Ambra game-winner with one second remaining.
MILESTONES — Balazs Kosa, who ranks 12th all-time at Pepperdine with 194 career goals, is close to becoming the 12th Wave ever to record 200 goals ... Sean Ferrari is at 99 career goals and is about to become the 43rd Wave to hit the century mark.
KOSA — Senior attacker Balazs Kosa is putting together one of the best careers in Pepperdine history. He's a three-time All-American, making the third team in 2018, the second team in 2019 and the first team in 2020-21. He led the country in scoring during the abbreviated spring 2021 season, scoring 39 times in 14 games. He scored 93 goals in the full 2019 season.
POLLS — The Waves were #5 in the preseason CWPA coaches poll. Outside of the abbreviated spring 2021 season when fewer teams were competing, the last time the Waves started in the top five was 2009 ... The Waves were picked fourth in the preseason GCC coaches poll. The order went UC Santa Barbara, Pacific, Long Beach State, Pepperdine, San Jose State and UC Irvine.
USA WATER POLO — Christian Hosea, Travis Reynolds and Nico Tierney missed the opening weekend of the season as they were competing with the U.S. Junior National Team at the FINA Men's Junior World Championship in the Czech Republic. The U.S. finished in seventh place ... This summer, Pepperdine alum Jesse Smith tied a USA Water Polo record when he competed in his fifth Olympics.
ROSTER NUMBERS — The Waves' 27-man roster breakdown is eight seniors, seven juniors, seven sophomores, one redshirt freshman and four true freshmen. Twenty-two of the 23 letterwinners from the spring season are back this fall, which accounts for 87.9% of the goal-scoring (167/190). One Wave — Coleman Carpenter — is back for a fifth season after utilizing a COVID-19 redshirt year.
SCHEDULE — The Waves will have seven home games spread over five dates in September and October. Their first two GCC games are at home against UC Irvine and Pacific, and then they'll play their final three on the road. In non-conference play, Pepperdine will get Stanford and California at home, and will visit defending NCAA champion UCLA and USC. After only playing 14 times in the spring, the Waves are slated to have a normal schedule of at least 25 regular-season contests.
LAST SEASON — The fall 2020 season was pushed to spring 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Waves finished with a #5 national ranking and went 11-3 overall. The sport saw a number of opt-outs, and only Pepperdine and San Jose State competed from the GCC. The Waves won the championship series title by taking four of five games. Balazs Kosa led the nation in scoring and made the All-American first team, while Curtis Jarvis and Nico Tierney were honorable mention.
WATER POLO HISTORY — Pepperdine won the NCAA title in 1997. That was the last time a school other than California, Stanford, UCLA or USC won the championship. The Waves' exceptional water polo history also includes 12 conference titles, a top-10 ranking in 44 of the last 45 years, and a top-five finish 21 times. Pepperdine has had 59 players earn All-American honors a total of 106 times. Three Waves — Mike Grier (1984), Geoffrey Clark (1991) and Alan Herrmann (1997) — were named the national player of the year. Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool hosted the 1984 Olympic water polo competition and the 2000 NCAA Championships.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY — Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won NCAA Division I championships in five different men's sports — one of just 18 schools to have accomplished this feat — and 10 overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment, is the only school without football and is the only university that has not been affiliated with a "major" conference. The Waves have won a total of 26 team or individual national championships in their history. Pepperdine has also earned the Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy, an award based on postseason success that's given to the top non-football school, three times (most recently in 2011-12). Located in scenic Malibu, California, the university overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its campus and athletic facilities are regularly voted among the nation's most beautiful. Pepperdine, which is affiliated with the Church of Christ, ranks #49 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
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Players Mentioned
UT
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK/UT
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
C
/ Men's Water Polo
CD
/ Men's Water Polo
