“Riding the Tide: Waves Men’s Water Polo Aims for WCC Glory!”

With the victory against San Jose State, Pepperdine can secure the conference championship by winning against Pacific

Following the moment when Pepperdine water polo player Chase Wilson sent the ball into the back of the net, establishing a three-goal lead for his team during the second half of the Waves’ triumph over the San Jose State Spartans at Pepperdine’s Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool on Nov. 9, the sophomore center expressed his excitement with a jubilant shout and splashed the surface of the pool.

The Waves had much to rejoice about. The team ultimately seized a 13-10 triumph. This victory positioned the squad just one game away from clinching the West Coast Conference title for the second consecutive season.

Pepperdine’s head coach Merrill Moses expressed that being on the verge of claiming the conference title is incredible.

“I’m extremely proud of the players,” Moses remarked. “Our team culture and chemistry are thriving. The players are supporting one another remarkably. Ultimately, it’s about the players and coaching staff coming together for a common objective, which is to win our conference championship and advance to the NCAAs. The environment we’ve cultivated at Pepperdine has contributed significantly to our success.”

As the Waves approach their regular-season finale against the Pacific Tigers in Stockton on Saturday, they hold a 20-6 overall record along with a 5-0 record in the WCC. Should Pepperdine emerge victorious over Pacific, the team will be crowned WCC champions and secure a first-round bye in the conference tournament scheduled for Nov. 22 to 24, also in Stockton. In the event of a loss, they would be seeded second or third in the postseason tournament. The champion of the conference tournament earns an automatic spot in the NCAA Tournament.

During the victory over San Jose State, Waves junior attacker Adam Csapo contributed one goal, three assists, and one drawn exclusion. Junior attacker Sandor Gal notched three steals, one drawn exclusion, one steal, and one field block. Graduate student attacker Christian Hosea added two goals, one steal, and one field block. Freshman utility Owen Tift had two goals, one assist, and two field blocks.

Eleven different players managed to score for Pepperdine. Moses stated that this denotes a “true team victory.”

Freshman goalkeeper Max Smirnov made 16 saves on defense for Pepperdine, which restricted San Jose State’s key scorer, center Bence Szabo, to just one goal, one assist, and three drawn exclusions.

“We managed to contain him,” Moses said. “He scored no goals from set situations. Our players did an exceptional job. Max likely achieved his best performance of the season.”

Tift, Hosea, and attacker Jackson Benners, a redshirt freshman, managed to score for the Waves in the opening quarter. With the score tied at 3 at the onset of the second quarter, senior attacker Clay Kaneko netted a goal for Pepperdine. After junior center Milo Joseph leveled the match at 5, fifth-year attacker Antony D’Ambra netted a score, giving the home team a one-point edge. Hosea’s subsequent goal allowed Pepperdine to lead 7-6 at halftime.

Redshirt freshman center Bronson Birdsall expanded the Waves’ lead by two with a goal at the end of the shot clock on the first play of the third quarter. Csapo followed suit, scoring right after Smirnov recorded his 13th save. San Jose State responded with another goal, but a toss from junior attacker Conor Brough found its way into the net at the end of the quarter, which allowed Pepperdine to lead 10-7.

The Spartans were the first to score in the final quarter, but Wilson quickly found the net to extend the Waves’ lead to three goals. Following Wilson, sophomore utility Jon Carcarey scored for Pepperdine, and Tift added another tally for the Waves, bringing the score to 13-9 after he found the empty net following a steal by Hosea. The Spartans managed to score once more before the match concluded.

Prior to the match, the Waves honored D’Ambra, Hosea, Kaneko, Dane Howell, and Ryan Reagen in a Senior Day ceremony.

Moses stated that these five individuals have played a vital role in establishing the Waves’ winning culture this season.

“Our team is highly respected within the community and certainly on Pepperdine’s campus,” he commented. “It was wonderful to see all of them in the water today. Each of them has contributed to the team’s success and the overall culture of our program this year.”

Moses, a former Waves star and Olympic athlete, has been an assistant or associate head coach for the Waves since 2012. This year, he took over as head coach from the legendary Terry Schroeder, who currently serves as the team’s associate head coach. Moses, who was mentored by Schroeder during his time as a collegiate player and Olympian, noted the significant impact the Hall-of-Fame water polo figure has had on his coaching philosophy.

By his own admission, Moses leads with immense enthusiasm.

“I’m quite the animated speaker who gives direct instructions,” he described. “It ultimately hinges on the players during practice. Much of the coaching occurs during preparation in the week prior. My motto has been, ‘We may not raise our voices frequently at Pepperdine, but we will speak up when necessary.’”