MALIBU, Calif. - Pepperdine water polo and head coach Merrill Moses have announced the full incoming Class of 2029 ahead of the upcoming 2025 season.

The class features seven newcomers to the program with four California products, two coming across the country from the northeast and an international standout from Hungary.

"I am very excited about our 2025 incoming class. We are bringing in seven athletes that are going to help our team compete for conference and NCAA championships," said head coach Merrill Moses. 

"Adding depth, talent and experience to our center position are Max Burstein from Oaks Christian High School and Adam Blum from Brunswick School. Both centers will get a chance to compete amongst our current centers on the team to try and earn a starting position and be big contributors to the success of our program. Csanád Bella is a center defender from Hungary who is a talented player that has represented his country on the international stage and will be a valuable addition to the team," Moses added. "Alex Piccin is an attacker from Stamford High who is a fast, smart player who will be a valued asset to the team. Brian Barnuevo is a versatile attacker/utility player from JSerra Catholic High School who will impact the game in a multitude of ways. Cameron Bench is an attacker from Mt. Carmel High who has great vision of the game and is an offensive weapon as a passer and shooter. Garrett Chivers is an attacker from Campolindo High who has the potential to be an impact player for the program. This is one of the strongest incoming freshman classes that Pepperdine water polo has ever had. They are going to help us continue our culture of athletic and academic excellence and compete for championships!"

Learn more about the Pepperdine water polo class of 2029:

Brian Barnuevo, Attacker (Los Angeles, Calif. / JSerra Catholic) - Full Bio
• All-CIF and All-League selection at Mater Dei before finishing high school career at JSerra.
• Competed with USA Water Polo Cadet and Youth National Teams and medaled at the Cadet-level World Championships.
• Played for the North Irvine Beast Boys and won multiple Junior Olympics including 2025.

Csanád Bella, Center (Budapest, Hungary / Szerb Antal) - Full Bio
• Member of the Hungarian U18 National Team that won the 2024 U18 World Championship in Buenos Aires.
• Hungarian Division I National Champion with Ferencvàros.
• Other club highlights with Asi and Ferencvàros include two U17 Hungarian Championships, two U19 Hungarian Championships and two U23 Béla Komjádi CUPs.

Cameron Bench, Attacker (Poway, Calif. / Mt. Carmel) - Full Bio
• Four-time All-Coastal League Selection at Mt. Carmel High School while totaling 374 goals, 246 assists and 235 steals across high school career.
• Won the 2023 D1 CIF Championships along with winning the 2022 D2 CIF and league championships.
• Played club water polo with Del Mar for seven years and Poway Valley for four years.

Adam Blum, Center (White Plains, N.Y. / Brunswick School) - Full Bio
• NESPAC Conference Champion as team captain and MVP at Brunswick School in Greenwich, Conn.
• Led Brunswick to sixth-place at BIWPA Barcelona Next Gen Cup in 2023 and 4th in the 2022 Santa Barbara Invitational.
• Was part of the 2022 USA Cadet National Team squad that competed in Greece for the World Championships.
• Played eight years of club water polo for Greenwich Aquatics which featured a pair of top-10 finishes at the 16U Platinum Division Junior Olympics in 2022-23.

Max Burstein, Center (Oak Park, Calif. / Oaks Christian) - Full Bio
• Competed with US Youth National Team that won the Pan Am Games in Brazil in 2023.
• Two-time Marmonte League MVP at Oaks Christian as the team finished third at the 2024 CIF SS Open Division with him earning First Team Open Division All-CIF SS honors.
• Played club with Pride Water Polo from the 10U to 18U level with multiple All-American selections.

Garrett Chivers, Attacker (Lafayette, Calif. / Campolindo) - Full Bio
• CIF Division II Champion at Campolindo High School while earning DAL All-League Second Team honors.
• Named USA Water Polo Academic All-American from 2022-23 and was a three-time NCS qualifier as a swimmer.
• Played club water polo with CC United from 12U to 18U level with Kap7 Tournament wins in 2022 and 2023.

Alex Piccin, Attacker (Stamford, Conn. / Stamford) - Full Bio
• All-Trinity League selection at Stamford High School while earning Academic All-American honors.
• Was part of the 2023 USA Cadet National Team squad that competed in Greece.
• Played club with Greenwich and Vanguard before four seasons with CT Premier, earning MVP honors of 2021 Dallas Junior Olympics with CT Premier winning the championship.

The incoming class will join a strong returning core for the Waves, who were consistently ranked top-ten in the nation this past year while posting a 21-8 overall record in Moses' first season at the helm.

The Waves will open up the 2025 campaign at the Triton Invite, hosted by UC San Diego from August 30-31. Pepperdine will feature in multiple contests throughout the weekend, with opponents and times yet to be determined.