Moses to be Honored During Team USA Exhibition Game Against Croatia
6/29/2023 3:42:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine men's water polo associate head coach Merrill Moses will be honored by USA Water Polo for his Team USA playing career on Saturday, July 8, in Walnut, Calif., at the USA Men's National Water Polo team exhibition game against Croatia. Moses, who is entering his 12th season as Pepperdine's associate head coach, announced his retirement from playing on Team USA in 2020.
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"It was a great honor representing Team USA and Pepperdine in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games," Moses said. "I want to thank USA water polo and Pepperdine for all of their support during my career representing Team USA and USA water polo. I'm looking forward to my retirement game on July 8 vs. Croatia and appreciate USA water polo recognizing my career."
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Moses' retirement celebration will take place during halftime of the exhibition game, which is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Mt. San Antonio College. The game will be televised on Bally Sports and the MSG Networks, plus it will be livestreamed on the Bally Sports app and USA Water Polo's YouTube channel. Tickets can be purchased on USA Water Polo's website.
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A three-time Olympian, Moses is one of 59 Pepperdine Waves to compete in the Olympics. He earned a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was a goalie for Team USA at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. Elsewhere with the US National Team, Moses won gold medals at three Pan American Games in 2007, 2011 and 2015, as well as silver medals at the 2008 and 2016 FINA World League Super Finals.
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As a Wave, Moses was a three-time All-American and helped Pepperdine win its first national championship in 1997 as the starting goalkeeper. Moses is one of three tri-MVPs of the NCAA tournament that year and in the same season, was named MPSF Goalkeeper of the Year. A 2013 inductee to the Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame, Moses graduated from Pepperdine in 1999 as the all-time leader in saves with 818; he currently ranks third in the statistical category.
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Moses was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame in 2021 and is a member of the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Jewish Sports Heritage Association Hall of Fame in 2018. Moses will also be inducted into the International Jewish Hall of Fame as the class of 2023 at the next induction ceremony in July 2025.
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He played professionally for clubs in Spain, Italy and Croatia and played domestically for the New York Athletic Club.
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Moses has been on the sidelines for the Pepperdine men's water polo squad since 2012, starting as an assistant and then was promoted to the position of associate head coach prior to the 2017 season. With Moses on staff, over the last decade Pepperdine has gone 141-118 (.544) and won three conference titles.
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"It was a great honor representing Team USA and Pepperdine in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games," Moses said. "I want to thank USA water polo and Pepperdine for all of their support during my career representing Team USA and USA water polo. I'm looking forward to my retirement game on July 8 vs. Croatia and appreciate USA water polo recognizing my career."
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Moses' retirement celebration will take place during halftime of the exhibition game, which is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Mt. San Antonio College. The game will be televised on Bally Sports and the MSG Networks, plus it will be livestreamed on the Bally Sports app and USA Water Polo's YouTube channel. Tickets can be purchased on USA Water Polo's website.
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A three-time Olympian, Moses is one of 59 Pepperdine Waves to compete in the Olympics. He earned a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was a goalie for Team USA at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. Elsewhere with the US National Team, Moses won gold medals at three Pan American Games in 2007, 2011 and 2015, as well as silver medals at the 2008 and 2016 FINA World League Super Finals.
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As a Wave, Moses was a three-time All-American and helped Pepperdine win its first national championship in 1997 as the starting goalkeeper. Moses is one of three tri-MVPs of the NCAA tournament that year and in the same season, was named MPSF Goalkeeper of the Year. A 2013 inductee to the Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame, Moses graduated from Pepperdine in 1999 as the all-time leader in saves with 818; he currently ranks third in the statistical category.
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Moses was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame in 2021 and is a member of the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Jewish Sports Heritage Association Hall of Fame in 2018. Moses will also be inducted into the International Jewish Hall of Fame as the class of 2023 at the next induction ceremony in July 2025.
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He played professionally for clubs in Spain, Italy and Croatia and played domestically for the New York Athletic Club.
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Moses has been on the sidelines for the Pepperdine men's water polo squad since 2012, starting as an assistant and then was promoted to the position of associate head coach prior to the 2017 season. With Moses on staff, over the last decade Pepperdine has gone 141-118 (.544) and won three conference titles.
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