FRESNO, Calif. - The No. 9 Fresno State water polo team returns home for a spring break nonconference matchup against No. 5 Cal at the Aquatics Center on Thursday.
No. 9 Fresno State (14-6, 2-1 GCC) vs No. 5 Cal (11-4, 1-1 MPSF)
March 28, 2024 - 12:30 P.M. PT - Fresno, Calif. - Aquatics Center
Series History: Cal leads, 8-0
Last Meeting: Cal def. FS 9-5 at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational on Feb. 24, 2024
MEDIA COVERAGE
Stream: MW Network
Live Stats: TheFosh
X (Twitter): @FresnoStateWP
Bulldog Bones
Fresno State takes a break from conference play to host No. 2 Cal for a mid-week matchup in Fresno.
Fresno State looks for its first win in the series with Cal
Fresno State and Cal will meet for the second time this season as the Golden Bears defeated the 'Dogs 9-5 in the second game of the Barbara Kalbus Invitational, hosted by UC Irvine.
Fresno State will face a Top 5 team for the sixth time this season. In those games, the Bulldogs are 2-3 on the season.
The Bulldogs defeated the top-ranked team twice this season in then-No. 1 Stanford and then-No. 1 USC.
Fresno State dropped to No. 9 in this week's CWPA rankings. The Bulldogs are now the second-highest ranked GCC team behind LMU (T6th).
Fresno State looks to keep its home winning streak alive against Cal this week. A win would extend the streak to 15 consecutive games and keep the 'Dogs undefeated at home in 2024.
The Bulldogs suffered their first Golden Coast Conference loss since March of 2021 last time out, falling to No. 11 LMU 12-8 on the road last weekend.
Head coach Natalie Benson has a 93-69 record as the Bulldogs' head coach.
Through 20 games this season, the Bulldogs have the best record to start a season in program history.
Sophomore Hailey Andress leads the 'Dogs in scoring with 53 goals on the year.
Wagner College transfer Abbey Simshauser leads the 'Dogs in points with 71 (49 goals and 22 assists)
Simshauser also leads the team with 36 steals.
In goal, senior Paula Nieto Jasny has an 11-6 record on the year. She has totaled 144 saves for a .537 save percentage.
Record book watch
A handful of players have put up the numbers to find themselves in the record book for single season numbers.
Goals - Hailey Andress (53) and Abbey Simshauser (49) have entered the Top 10 for single season scoring. Entering this week, Andress ranks fourth all-time as she surpassed her personal single season career-best of 52 goals scored a season ago. In her first season as a Bulldog, Simshauser enters this week's competition ranked seventh all-time.
The program record for most goals scored by a player in a single season is 72 (Fanni Muzsnay, 2022).
Hat Tricks - Andress has nine hat tricks on the season, enough for the third-most in a season in program history. Simshauser has eight, the fourth-most. Brooke Ochoa has six on the year.
The program record for most hat tricks in a season is 12 (Fanni Muzsnay, 2022).
Assists - Ochoa enters this week with a team-leading 30 assists, the fourth-most in a season in program history. Ochoa herself has had 32 in her previous two seasons with the program. The program record for most assists in a single season is 41 (Claire Schade, 2019).
Steals - Simshauser has made an immediate impact on the defensive end as well, recording 36 steals so far this season. The single season program record is 41, set by Ochoa a season ago. Simshauser currently sits third all-time. Andress adds 28 steals, enough for the seventh-most in a single season in program history.
Exclusions Drawn - Ashley Williams has stepped up in center, recording 38 drawn exclusions this season behind huge performances in the last five weeks. Williams sits with the seventh-most in a single season in program history. Emily Nicholson holds the program record with 110 in 2019.
Saves - Another year, and another major performance by Paula Nieto Jasny in the cage. Entering this week, she has 144 saves on the season. She already owns the program record with 216 saves, twice (2022, 2023). Her 144 saves this season are already the third-most in any season in program history.
Sprint Wins - Cynthia Rosa is the queen of the sprint. This season, she has a record of 53-5. Her 53 wins are the second-most in a season in program history behind only herself with 70 a season ago.
She really is HER
Sophomore Hailey Andress made an immediate impact as a true freshman in 2023, helping lead the team to its third-straight Golden Coast Conference title as the conference's newcomer of the year.
She hasn't let off this year, leading the team in goals as she became the fastest player in program history to surpass 100 career goals earlier this season. Her accomplishments have earned her national attention as she was named to the watch list for the Cutino Award in 2024. The Sutino Award recognizes the nation's top collegiate water polo player. The award was created in 2022, and Andress is the first Bulldog to earn the recognition by the partnering organizations.
A moment for the head coach
Fresno State head coach Natalie Benson has built the program from the ground up, hired as the programs first head coach in 2016 for its inaugural season in 2018.
Since then, Benson has compiled a 93-69 record for the program. She has been named the Golden Coast Conference Coach of the Year three times, and was recognized with the Sandy Nitta Distinguished Coaching National Award in 2022.
Hot start
Fresno State had a hot start to the 2024 season, winning six-straight to open the season. The Bulldogs opened the season with their first-ever win over Michigan, defeating the No. 13 team in the country 11-10 in Fresno on Jan. 20.
The Bulldogs have twice defeated the No. 1 team in the country this season. First, taking down Stanford 11-10 on Jan. 21. It was the first time in program history that the Bulldogs defeated the Cardinal. Fresno State then defeated USC at the Triton Invitational on Feb. 3. Fresno State became just the second school since water polo became an NCAA sport in 2001 to defeat both Stanford and USC in the same season. Second-ranked Hawai'i became the third with a win over both teams in 2024 as well.
'Dogs picked as conference favorites in preseason poll
The Fresno State water polo team was picked to win the Golden Coast Conference in 2024 as voted upon by the conference head coaches in the preseason poll.
The eight head coaches from the GCC picked Fresno State to win its fourth-straight conference title in 2024. The Bulldogs have won at least a share of the last three GCC regular season titles and have won the last three tournament titles. They earned seven first place votes to sit atop the poll with 49 points.
The Bulldogs checked in at No. 9 in the Collegiate Water Polo Association preseason team rankings, and were the highest ranked GCC team entering Week 1.
Perea to be inducted into Pomona-Pitzer Athletic Hall of Fame
Fresno State water polo assistant coach Tamara Perea is set to be inducted into the Pomona-Pitzer Athletic Hall of Fame, the athletic department announced earlier this month. Perea is one of nine individuals who are a part of this induction class, with the official ceremony being held on Thursday, April 25, 2024 in the Center for Athletics, Recreation, and Wellness (CARW) at Pomona College at 220 E. Sixth Street, Claremont.
Perea has been with the Bulldogs' program since 2019, helping coach the team to three-straight Golden Coast Conference championship titles and NCAA national championship appearances in those seasons.