U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — No. 10 Pepperdine water polo (16-10, 3-3 WCC) will open the West Coast Conference (WCC) Tournament Friday against No. 17 Santa Clara (9-13, 2-4 WCC) in a quarterfinal matchup. Game time is set for 2 p.m. MT / 1 p.m. PT from Cadet Natatorium with streaming available on ESPN+.

WATCH | LIVE STATS | TICKETS | TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

The matchup pits the third-seeded Waves against the sixth-seeded Broncos, as the winner will square off with the victor of second-seeded San Jose State versus seventh-seeded Air Force on Saturday at 1 p.m. MT / Noon PT.

The Waves will look to win their first WCC Championship, in their third year in the conference, and reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 and 14th time overall.

LAST TIME OUT

• The Waves closed the regular season with a 15-9 victory at No. 17 Santa Clara.
• Erik Ionescu led the Waves with four goals while Csanád Bella deposited a hat trick.
• Jon Carcarey had a five-point effort with three steals.
• Max Smirnov made 10 saves to earn the victory in the cage.
• The win secured the No. 3 seed in the WCC Tournament for the Waves.

GAME NOTES

• The Waves had a conference-high seven receive postseason recognition from the West Coast Conference. 
• Erik Ionescu and Max Smirnov were named to the All-WCC Second Team.
• Ionescu led the Waves with 88 points during the regular season with 53 goals and 35 assists.
• Ionescu is the reigning WCC Player of the Week following his four-goal effort against Santa Clara.
• Smirnov ranked second in the conference in save-percentage at .466 and in saves with 216 this season.
• Csanád Bella earned All-WCC Freshman Team honors.
• Bella totaled 23 goals, 15 steals and 16 field blocks during his debut season.
• Bella was named WCC Newcomer of the Week this past Tuesday after scoring a hat trick against Santa Clara.
• Jon Carcarey, Sandor Gal, Dane Howell and Matty Walsh each tabbed All-WCC Honorable Mention.
• Carcarey has logged 53 points and 25 steals for the Waves this season.
• Gal ranks second on the squad with 86 points this season with 40 goals and 46 assists.
• Gal finished the regular season ranking first in the WCC with 19 field blocks while sitting ninth in total points.
• Howell deposited 54 goals this season to go along with 31 assists.
• Howell's 29 steals also ranks sixth in the conference.
• Walsh has been the Waves' leading goalscorer throughout the campaign, finishing the regular season with 55 goals while scoring in 24 of 26 games.
• Brian Barnuevo and Owen Tift have each logged 43 points this season, playing key roles for the Waves.
• Gal, Smirnov and Charles Warmington each earned WCC All-Academic Team Honorable Mention recognition earlier this week.
• The Waves are currently riding a season-high five game winning streak, the longest active winning streak in the conference.
• Pepperdine is 6-3 this season in neutral site contests.
• The Waves are 1-2 all-time in the WCC Tournament.

SERIES HISTORY

• The Waves hold a 14-2 all-time mark against the Broncos.
• This includes a 3-0 record since the programs joined the West Coast Conference.
• Pepperdine is currently riding a five-game winning streak in the series.
• The Waves are 5-1 in neutral site matchups in the all-time series.
• Pepperdine earned a 15-9 win in the regular season meeting last weekend.

SCOUTING THE BRONCOS

• The 17th-ranked Broncos enter play with a 9-13 overall record which features a 2-4 WCC mark.
• The Broncos are 0-2 all-time in the WCC Tournament.
• The squad is led by Riccardo De Simon who has recorded 66 goals and 89 points this season.
• De Simon was named to the All-WCC First Team while Henry Engs tabbed second team honors.
• Santa Clara is 5-3 this season in neutral site affairs.

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.

TICKETS
For more information and to purchase tickets to upcoming home events, visit here.

FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine water polo news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineMWP.