MALIBU, Calif. – No. 12 Pepperdine water polo (3-2) is set to host Whittier (3-1) and No. 19 UC Santa Barbara (7-3) on Thursday from Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool.

The Waves will begin at noon for the matchup with Whittier, before taking on UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) at 5:00 p.m. The Poets and Gauchos will also play a neutral site contest at 2:30 p.m. Information on how to purchase tickets can be found here.

The first 100 fans in attendance for the 5:00 contest with UCSB will receive a free pair of viper sunglasses. Both of Pepperdine's games can be streamed live on ESPN+.

Pepperdine vs. Whittier – WATCH | LIVE STATS
Pepperdine vs. UC Santa Barbara – WATCH | LIVE STATS

LAST TIME OUT

• The Waves were defeated in the home opener by No. 2 USC on Sunday by a score of 13-8.
• Pepperdine fell behind 6-0 early in the contest before outscoring the Trojans in the final two and a half periods.
• Brian Barnuevo logged a team-high three points for the Waves.
• Dane Howell and Jon Carcarey each scored twice with Carcarey adding a pair of steals.

GAME NOTES

• The Waves enter week 3 ranked No. 12 in the CWPA poll, the second straight week holding that ranking.
• Sandor Gal leads the Waves with 17 points this season through 12 goals and five assists.
• Dane Howell has matched Gal's 12 goals for the team-lead as the graduate student has found the back of the cage in every game this season.
• Matty Walsh has scored a goal in every game this season as the starting center for the Waves.
• Max Smirnov logged ten saves against USC on Sunday and has registered a .508 save-percentage and 10.00 GAA in three starts this season in the cage.
• Cade Anderton has tallied six goals in five games in his first collegiate action for the Waves.
• Jon Carcarey has continued his strong play with seven points, eight steals and three field blocks for the Waves. His eight steals ranks fourth in the WCC.
• Carcarey and Walsh are one of two duos in the WCC to each have three or more field blocks.
• Brian Barnuevo has paced the freshman class for the Waves with three goals and four assists in his first five collegiate contests.
• Pepperdine enters play 2-2 this season against ranked opponents.
• The Waves have scored at least eight goals in 28 consecutive games dating back to last season.

SERIES HISTORY

• Pepperdine holds a 5-0 all-time record versus Whittier.
• The most recent matchup saw a 24-5 win for the Waves in 2022.
• The Waves lead the all-time series with UCSB 66-57 with a 30-20 mark at home.
• Pepperdine holds a four-game winning streak in the series with the Gauchos.
• Last season saw a 15-13 Pepperdine win at home and 13-11 Waves victory at a neutral site.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT

• Whittier enters play with a 3-1 record following an 18-10 campaign in 2024.
• The Poets took on a WCC opponent on Sunday, falling 24-17 at Air Force.
• The Gauchos enter play ranked No. 19 in the CWPA poll.
• UCSB enters play riding a six-game winning streak.
• UCSB has played a pair of common opponents of the Waves so far, defeating No. 20 Navy 12-7 and falling to No. 2 USC 16-10.

The Waves will have a quick turnaround and travel to No. 1 UCLA on Saturday for a single game at 3:00 p.m.

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.