FRESNO, Calif. - The No. 9 Fresno State water polo team opened the 2025 season with a 16-14 victory over No. 14 Michigan in the opening game of the Polopalooza tournament at the Aquatics Center on Friday evening.
Hailey Andress and Abbey Simshauser picked up where they left off from 2024, leading the team with four goals apiece. Brooke Ochoa scored a hat trick herself, Ashley Williams added two goals, and Kira Anderson, Megan Cranley and Marit van der Kolk each contributed one goal.
Ida Tully-Giles and Islay Martin-Hill split time in the cage on Friday. They had three saves each, in 16 minutes of play.
How it happened
Michigan got out to a 3-0 lead to start the game before Cranley ended the run with 5:10 left in the first quarter. After Cranley's goal, the 'Dogs scored three-straight to take the lead with a pair of goals by Andress and one by Ochoa. Michigan scored two in-a-row and Fresno State answered with a pair by Simshauser and van der Kolk to hold a 6-5 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Simshauser opened up scoring for the Bulldogs in the second quarter to give a two goal buffer, but Michigan closed it back to one just 14 seconds later. Anderson took advantage of a man-up opportunity, but the Wolverines responded with two of their own to tie things up at eight apiece. The teams traded goals with a Fresno State score by Williams. Simshauser netted another with 43 seconds left before the half to put the Bulldogs up 10-9 at halftime.
Andress scored two goals in the first two minutes of the second half, and Simshauser scored another to put Fresno State up 13-10 with five minutes left in the third quarter. Michigan scored three-straight to close out the third quarter tied at 13.
Neither team scored for the first three minutes of the fourth quarter and it was Michigan who ended the drought, and took a 14-13 lead. Back in the game with two exclusions on her early, Ochoa netted a pair in just over 30 seconds of play to put Fresno State ahead by one. Williams finished the 6-on-5 opportunity to seal the game for the Bulldogs with 3:12 left in the game.
Notable
Fresno State won its season opener for the fourth time in program history, and the second time in as many years.
Fresno State earned its second win all-time against Michigan, in back-to-back years.
Islay Martin-Hill saw her first action as a Bulldog, having redshirted as a true freshman in 2024.
Fresno State played just one true freshman in Marit van der Kolk. She finished with one goal, two assists and a sprint win.
Senior Elisa Grim had a career-high four assists.
Up Next
Fresno State will face No. 4 Cal on Saturday at 12:10 p.m. at the Aquatics Center. Fresno State looks for its first-ever win in the series with Cal (9-0). For more information on the matchups for Day Two of Polopalooza, visit the Tournament Central.