FRESNO, Calif. - The No. 9 Fresno State water polo team heads south to take on No. 20 San Diego State this weekend. The Bulldogs (9-7, 3-1 GCC) look to bounce back in conference play after their first GCC loss of the season last weekend. The Aztecs currently sit on top of the Golden Coast Conference team standings with an undefeated conference record.
No. 9 Fresno State (9-7, 3-1 GCC) at No. 20 San Diego State (13-9, 3-0 GCC)
March 29, 2025 - 1 P.M. PT - San Diego, Calif. - Aztec Aquaplex
Series History: Fresno State leads, 8-3
Last Meeting: FS def SDSU 15-7 at home on March 16, 2024
MEDIA COVERAGE
Stream: YouTube
Live Stats: TheFosh
X (Twitter): @FresnoStateWP
Bulldog Bones
Fresno State moved to No. 9 in this week's national polls, dropping from No. 7 following the overtime loss to LMU last weekend.
Fresno State remains the highest-ranked GCC team this week.
Fresno State lost just its third GCC regular season game in the last four years in last weekend's loss to LMU.
The loss to LMU was Fresno State's first home GCC loss since 2019.
Fresno State scored fewer than 10 goals for just the second time this season, and is 0-2 in those games.
Alternatively, the Bulldogs allowed more than 10 goals for the 10th time this season and are 3-7 in those games.
Fresno State is led in scoring by senior Brooke Ochoa with 54 goals. Junior Hailey Andress is right behind with 53 goals. Before last weekend's game, the duo had the exact same stat line for goals and assists.
Ochoa and Andress are fourth and fifth respectively in the GCC standings for goals.
Ochoa became the program's all-time leading scorer last time out, netting her 197th career goal.
Andress was named to the Cutino Award watch list last week, recognizing the collegiate water polo player of the year.
Fresno State has had three GCC Player of the Week honors so far this season with Ochoa earning two and Abbey Simshauser picking up one honor.
Fresno State has faced 13 ranked opponents this season, and is 6-7 in those games.
Fresno State is coached by Natalie Benson, who has a 109-78 all-time record as the Bulldogs' head coach.
She got the record
Despite the loss last weekend, senior Brooke Ochoa led the team with four goals. Her third goal of the afternoon secured herself as the program's all-time leading scorer. She has scored 197 career goals up to this point. The native of Carlsbad has appeared in 99 career games as a Bulldog, the third-most in program history.
Back on watch
Hailey Andress earned a spot on the 2025 Cutino Award watch list, announced by the organization last week. USA Water Polo and The Olympic Club are thrilled to collaborate with the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) on the Cutino Award Watch List. The Peter J. Cutino Award, named in honor of the late Hall of Fame coach, recognizes the best player in men's and women's college water polo annually since 2022.
Andress finds herself on the watch list for the second straight year. This season, she is one of 20 collegiate women's water polo players on the watch list. She is one of only two from the Golden Coast Conference, joined by LMU's Ruth Arino Ruiz. The selections for the watch list were submitted by collegiate head coaches around the country.
A look at Andress
The junior Bulldog hasn't had a down season yet. This year, she is second on the team in scoring with 53 goals. She also adds 19 assists, 16 steals, four field blocks and three drawn exclusions.
Andress has solidified herself as one of the program's most accomplished and decorated student-athletes. With 179 career goals, she is third all-time in Fresno State's history. Andress was a first team All-GCC selection in 2024, and a second team ACWPC All-American. Her freshman year, she was named the GCC Newcomer of the Year, while earning second team all-conference honors and honorable mention all-america accolades.
Earned every one of them
Junior Ashley Williams leads the team with 40 drawn exclusions this season. With 46 earned ejections last season, her amount so far this year brings her career total to 102. She is currently tied for second for career drawn exclusions with Jillian Schultz (2021-23). Emily Nicholson owns the program record with 376 exclusions drawn.
Not the freshman anymore
In 2024, Kira Anderson was one of a few true freshmen to play in rotational situations for the Bulldogs. It paid off for her as she has become a key piece to what Fresno State is able to do in the pool this season. Doing a little bit of everything, Anderson has the team's highest shooting percentage at a 63 percent clip. She has scored 12 goals on 19 shot attempts, and adds 15 assists. She also has 12 steals, eight field blocks and six drawn exclusions. She is 7-3 in her sprint attempts this season.
With seniors Ochoa and Simshauser graduating this season, Anderson looks to grow on this opportunity from 2025 and become an impact player in the years to come.
Keeping the #3 name
Another void that the Bulldogs had to fill was the graduation of Cynthia Rosa, who wore cap #3 and left as the program's all-time leader in sprints. It didn't take long to find the next sprinter as freshman Marit van der Kolk has stepped in and gone for a 26-4 sprint record so far this season. She is currently third in the GCC in sprint wins, but leads the conference with a .867 win percentage. The true freshman also adds nine goals, seven assists, five drawn exclusions, seven steals and four field blocks. And, she wears cap #3.
GCC Flashback
Fresno State returns as the reigning Golden Coast Champions, for the fourth year in a row. The Bulldogs have been the tournament champion for four-straight years, and the regular season champion in three of the last four years.
In regular season play, Fresno State has only lost three regular season GCC games in the last four years.
Fresno State has an all-time record of 37-10 in Golden Coast Conference play, and is 29-3 in the last four seasons.