SAN BRUNO, Calif. — No. 9 Pepperdine water polo sees seven athletes recognized by the West Coast Conference (WCC) with postseason accolades announced today.

Sophomores Erik Ionescu and Max Smirnov were each named to the All-WCC Second Team, freshman Csanád Bella tabbed WCC All-Freshman Team honors, while junior Jon Carcarey, senior Sandor Gal and graduate students Dane Howell & Matty Walsh received All-WCC Honorable Mention.

The seven total players recognized marks the most out of any program in the WCC this season.

"We are very proud of all our athletes that were recognized for the 2025 WCC All Conference and All Freshman Team Awards," said head coach Merrill Moses. "We have the most athletes recognized from a team which shows the depth and talent of our team. The team has been working extremely hard this season and we are very excited to compete in the WCC championships this weekend."

All-WCC Second Team
Erik Ionescu, Sophomore, Attacker (Budapest, Hungary)
Ionescu led the Waves with 88 points this season through 53 goals and 35 assists. An All-WCC Preseason Team selection, Ionescu lived up to the billing and scored multiple goals in 16 of his 24 appearances this season. He posted nine games this season with at least five points, which included key ranked wins over UC Santa Barbara, Long Beach State and LMU. Ionescu added 14 steals and six field blocks on the campaign and earned his first WCC Player of the Week honor earlier today. Overall, Ionescu was eighth in the WCC with 88 points during the regular season.

Max Smirnov, Sophomore, Goalie (Petah Tikva, Irsael)
Smirnov had a standout sophomore campaign for the Waves, commanding the cage throughout the season with 20 starts and 21 appearances. Smirnov totaled 216 saves in 633 minutes of action to the tune of a .466 save-percentage and 12.54 GAA. He added 23 steals, eight assists and two goals to his ledger throughout the year. Smirnov ranked second in the West Coast Conference in both saves and save-percentage. He totaled double-digit saves in 15 contests this season, including a season-high 17 stops with seven goals allowed against LMU.

All-WCC Freshman Team
Csanád Bella, Freshman, Utility (Budapest, Hungary)
Bella enjoyed a strong debut season with the Waves, totaling 23 goals, two assists, 15 steals and 16 field blocks. A key two-way player for the Waves, Bella registered a point in 16 of 26 games this season while recording four multi-goal efforts. His 16 field blocks ranks third in the WCC as he is one of two Waves to have 20-plus goals, 15-plus steals and 15-plus field blocks on the season. Bella earned WCC Newcomer of the Week for the first time earlier today after ending the regular season with three goals and two field blocks in a win at Santa Clara.

All-WCC Honorable Mention
Jon Carcarey, Junior, Utility (Santa Maria, Calif.)
Carcarey posted 31 goals, 22 assists, 25 steals and 10 field blocks on the season while helping anchor the Pepperdine defense. Appearing in 24 games, the junior had a point in 19 games including three four-goal efforts where he stepped up offensively for the Waves. At his best against the toughest competition, three of his four five-plus point efforts came in WCC play with the fourth coming in a key win at No. 9 Long Beach State. Named to the Cutino Award Watch List earlier this season, Carcarey logged seven games this season with multiple steals and 11 contests with at least one goal and at least one assist.

Sandor Gal, Senior, Attacker (Budapest, Hungary)
Gal ranked second on the team with 86 points this season via 40 goals and 46 assists. The senior also paced the Waves in field blocks with 19 and ranked second on the team with 27 steals. Gal registered multiple points in 21 of 26 games this season including 12 efforts with at least four points. He registered a season-high nine points with seven assists against Redlands earlier this season and ended this season with 36 points across his final 10 games. Gal ranked ninth in the WCC in points, fifth in assists and first in field blocks.

Dane Howell, Graduate Student, Attacker (Huntington Beach, Calif.)
Howell registered 53 goals this season for the Waves to go along with 31 assists as he ranked third on the team with 84 points. An all-around asset for the Waves this season, Howell paced the team and ranked sixth in the WCC this season with 29 steals. He began the season scoring a goal in 11 straight games which featured nine multi-goal efforts, and finished the season registering multiple points in 24 of 26 games. He also led the Waves with a 45-22 record on recorded sprints on the season, and added eight field blocks throughout the campaign.

Matty Walsh, Graduate Student, Attacker (Laguna Beach, Calif.)
Walsh led the Waves this season with 55 goals on 99 shots, proving an efficient scorer as the starting center for Pepperdine all year. Scoring in 24 of 26 games on the season, Walsh scored multiple goals in 13 of 15 games to close out the campaign,while totaling 18 multi-goal efforts. His 55 tallies ranked eighth in the West Coast Conference this season. Walsh added six assists, 20 steals and eight field blocks as one of four Waves to have 20-plus steals and 50-plus points. He had a season-high four goals which he reached four times, including in wins over UC Santa Barbara and Princeton.

2025 West Coast Conference Men's Water Polo All-Conference Awards
Coach of the Year
James Graham, Pacific

West Coast Conference Player of the Year
Brendon Gyapjas, San José State

West Coast Conference Newcomer of the Year
Alika Naone, LMU

West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year
Apostolos Georgaras, Pacific

West Coast Conference All-Conference 
First Team
Tommaso Baldineti, LMU
Riccardo De Simon, Santa Clara
Apostolos Georgaras, Pacific
Brendon Gyapjas, San Jose State
Tom Leggett, Air Force
Andrea Nuzzo, California Baptist
Abel Romero Corbalan, LMU

Second Team
Samu Biros, San José State
Ori Buzaglo, Pacific
Henry Engs, Santa Clara
Erik Ionescu, Pepperdine
Borisz Kasa-Gal, Pacific
Samuel Keightley, San José State
Max Smirnov, Pepperdine

Honorable Mention
Bence Barics, LMU
Mateja Bosić, San José State
Jon Carcarey, Pepperdine
Sandor Gal, Pepperdine
Kiss Gergely, Pacific
Dane Howell, Pepperdine
Reese Jenican, Santa Clara
Rafael Martinez, California Baptist
Alika Naone, LMU
Jack Richards, Air Force
Alex Righetti, California Baptist
Daniel Viscia, Pacific
Matty Walsh, Pepperdine

West Coast Conference All-Freshman Team
Whitley Beamon, California Baptist
Csanád Bella, Pepperdine
Kiss Gergely, Pacific
Apostolos Georgaras, Pacific
Borisz Kasa-Gal, Pacific
Samuel Keightley, San Jose State
Imme van der Schaaf, Santa Clara

ABOUT PEPPERDINE WATER POLO
Pepperdine water polo has seen success spanning decades under Terry Schroeder who gave the reins to Merrill Moses following the 2023 season. Highlighted by its national championship in 1997 with Moses as the starting goalie, the Waves have reached the NCAA Tournament on 13 occasions and recently won the inaugural WCC Regular Season Championship in 2023. Overall, the program has seen 60 athletes garner All-American honors while boasting a winning record in 36 of 50 seasons.

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