Saturday, January 20
Long Beach, Calif.
8:00 a.m.
California State University at Northridge
vs
California Baptist
CSUN Opens 22nd Season of Water Polo Saturday
1/19/2024 9:33:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---No. 21 CSUN Water Polo opens its 22nd season on Saturday morning at the Beach Invite on the campus of Long Beach State. The Matadors will take on California Baptist in the season opener at 8 a.m. before facing the Claremont Mudd-Scripps at 1 p.m. Live stats will be available for both matches.
TEAM OVERVIEW
CSUN notched its most wins in nine seasons in 2023 as the Matadors finished with a 17-13 overall record and 1-6 mark in The Big West.Â
In 2024, CSUN looks to make a jump in the always ultra-competitive Big West, which features six teams ranked in the top-12 nationally. The Matadors boast a veteran-laden squad with 17 returners including a pair of fifth-year seniors in starting goalkeeper Meghan Lopez and attacker Helena Sandhagen. CSUN has returned three All-Americans in Dorottya Telek (101 goals), Shelby Hovanesian (33 goals) and Anna Pal (29 goals) while the team returns its top-nine goal scorers and top-10 point leaders.
A total of five newcomers make up the roster including two true freshmen, one Division I transfer and two junior college transfers. Goalkeeper Kiana Kellner joins the team from Ventura High School along with attacker Jade Cuevas (Temple City High School). Goalkeeper Samantha Bright lettered two seasons with Mount St. Mary's while utility Kianna Melvin won a state title at West Valley College in 2021 and attacker Jenna Olson, a redshirt last year, helped Santa Barbara City College win a state championship in 2022.
Matt Warshaw has returned for his seventh season and eighth year overall as head coach of the Matadors. In 2023, Warshaw led CSUN to its most wins during his tenure as well as a national ranking for the entire 2023 season. Warshaw is approaching 100 career wins with CSUN as he enters the 2024 season at 83 victories.
CSUN RANKED #21
CSUN was ranked No. 21 in the CWPA Preseason Top-25. The ranking is the highest for the Matadors to start a season since 2019. CSUN finished the 2023 season with a No. 22 national ranking. Overall, CSUN has not dropped out of the top-25 since Feb 9, 2022.Â
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS
CSUN was picked to finish seventh in the 2024 Preseason Coaches' Poll ahead of Cal State Fullerton. UC Irvine was selected to repeat as Big West champions while Hawai'i was placed second. Behind the Bows were Long Beach State, UC San Diego, UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara.
TELEK EARNS PRESEASON ALL-BIG WEST NOD
A native of Budapest, Hungary, Dorottya Telek is coming off another historic season in the pool where she shattered the school record for goals in a season with 101. She would top the league in points at 112 and rank third in steals at 44. Telek earned All-Big West Second Team honors last year and was a two-time Big West Player of the Week.
ON THE DOORSTEP OF HISTORY
Junior center Dorottya Telek is within range this season of breaking Madeleine Sanchez's all-time career goal record of 229 set in 2018. Telek enters 2023 at 178 career goals, good enough for sixth-place in team history. She needs just 52 goals to surpass Sanchez's mark, which also leads The Big West all-time. Telek is also fifth in school history in career exclusions drawn (169) and 10th in career field blocks (30).
TOP RETURNERS
A two-time All-American, junior Anna Pal was second on the team in points (72), assists (43) and steals (36), and third in goals (29) in 2023 while second-leading scorer Shelby Hovanesian had a career-high 33 goals in her sophomore season last year. Other top scorers include senior Helena Sandhagen, an All-American in 2022, tallied 21 goals in 2023 and junior Tatiana Smeltzer notched 17 goals. In front of the cage, fifth-year senior Meghan Lopez topped The Big West with a career-high 294 saves in 28 appearances.
SCOUTING CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
CBU finished last season with a 15-19 overall record and 0-7 mark in the Golden Coast Conference. Emaly Hutton, an All-GCC Honorable Mention in 2023, is the team's top returning scorer with 50 goals to go with 22 assists while Dora Lehoczky had 37 goals a year ago. Goalkeeper Tyanna Schneider had 94 saves last season in front of the cage.
Series History: CSUN leads CBU 19-8 in the all-time series, however the teams have split the last 10 meetings. The Matadors last played the Lancers in 2022, dropping a close 9-8 decision. The last four meetings between the two teams have been decided by a combined six goals.
SCOUTING CLAREMONT MUDD-SCRIPPS
The Athenas went 19-11 overall and 11-1 in SCIAC play last season. CMS would finish as the Division III runner-up, falling in the championship game to Pomona-Pitzer in overtime. In the CWPA preseason polls, CMS was picked second in the national D-3 rankings. The Athenas have returned their top three scorers from last season in Cooper McKenna (59), Grace Clark (51) and Isabel Del Villar (44).
Series History: CSUN has won all 10 meetings with CMS in a series that dates back to the Matadors' inaugural season in 2002. The teams last competed in 2022 with the Matadors coming out on top 10-8.
#GoMatadors
Â
TEAM OVERVIEW
CSUN notched its most wins in nine seasons in 2023 as the Matadors finished with a 17-13 overall record and 1-6 mark in The Big West.Â
In 2024, CSUN looks to make a jump in the always ultra-competitive Big West, which features six teams ranked in the top-12 nationally. The Matadors boast a veteran-laden squad with 17 returners including a pair of fifth-year seniors in starting goalkeeper Meghan Lopez and attacker Helena Sandhagen. CSUN has returned three All-Americans in Dorottya Telek (101 goals), Shelby Hovanesian (33 goals) and Anna Pal (29 goals) while the team returns its top-nine goal scorers and top-10 point leaders.
A total of five newcomers make up the roster including two true freshmen, one Division I transfer and two junior college transfers. Goalkeeper Kiana Kellner joins the team from Ventura High School along with attacker Jade Cuevas (Temple City High School). Goalkeeper Samantha Bright lettered two seasons with Mount St. Mary's while utility Kianna Melvin won a state title at West Valley College in 2021 and attacker Jenna Olson, a redshirt last year, helped Santa Barbara City College win a state championship in 2022.
Matt Warshaw has returned for his seventh season and eighth year overall as head coach of the Matadors. In 2023, Warshaw led CSUN to its most wins during his tenure as well as a national ranking for the entire 2023 season. Warshaw is approaching 100 career wins with CSUN as he enters the 2024 season at 83 victories.
CSUN RANKED #21
CSUN was ranked No. 21 in the CWPA Preseason Top-25. The ranking is the highest for the Matadors to start a season since 2019. CSUN finished the 2023 season with a No. 22 national ranking. Overall, CSUN has not dropped out of the top-25 since Feb 9, 2022.Â
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS
CSUN was picked to finish seventh in the 2024 Preseason Coaches' Poll ahead of Cal State Fullerton. UC Irvine was selected to repeat as Big West champions while Hawai'i was placed second. Behind the Bows were Long Beach State, UC San Diego, UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara.
TELEK EARNS PRESEASON ALL-BIG WEST NOD
A native of Budapest, Hungary, Dorottya Telek is coming off another historic season in the pool where she shattered the school record for goals in a season with 101. She would top the league in points at 112 and rank third in steals at 44. Telek earned All-Big West Second Team honors last year and was a two-time Big West Player of the Week.
ON THE DOORSTEP OF HISTORY
Junior center Dorottya Telek is within range this season of breaking Madeleine Sanchez's all-time career goal record of 229 set in 2018. Telek enters 2023 at 178 career goals, good enough for sixth-place in team history. She needs just 52 goals to surpass Sanchez's mark, which also leads The Big West all-time. Telek is also fifth in school history in career exclusions drawn (169) and 10th in career field blocks (30).
TOP RETURNERS
A two-time All-American, junior Anna Pal was second on the team in points (72), assists (43) and steals (36), and third in goals (29) in 2023 while second-leading scorer Shelby Hovanesian had a career-high 33 goals in her sophomore season last year. Other top scorers include senior Helena Sandhagen, an All-American in 2022, tallied 21 goals in 2023 and junior Tatiana Smeltzer notched 17 goals. In front of the cage, fifth-year senior Meghan Lopez topped The Big West with a career-high 294 saves in 28 appearances.
SCOUTING CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
CBU finished last season with a 15-19 overall record and 0-7 mark in the Golden Coast Conference. Emaly Hutton, an All-GCC Honorable Mention in 2023, is the team's top returning scorer with 50 goals to go with 22 assists while Dora Lehoczky had 37 goals a year ago. Goalkeeper Tyanna Schneider had 94 saves last season in front of the cage.
Series History: CSUN leads CBU 19-8 in the all-time series, however the teams have split the last 10 meetings. The Matadors last played the Lancers in 2022, dropping a close 9-8 decision. The last four meetings between the two teams have been decided by a combined six goals.
SCOUTING CLAREMONT MUDD-SCRIPPS
The Athenas went 19-11 overall and 11-1 in SCIAC play last season. CMS would finish as the Division III runner-up, falling in the championship game to Pomona-Pitzer in overtime. In the CWPA preseason polls, CMS was picked second in the national D-3 rankings. The Athenas have returned their top three scorers from last season in Cooper McKenna (59), Grace Clark (51) and Isabel Del Villar (44).
Series History: CSUN has won all 10 meetings with CMS in a series that dates back to the Matadors' inaugural season in 2002. The teams last competed in 2022 with the Matadors coming out on top 10-8.
#GoMatadors
Â
Players Mentioned
Goalkeeper
/ Women's Water Polo
Attacker
/ Women's Water Polo
Attacker
/ Women's Water Polo
Goalkeeper
/ Women's Water Polo
Goalkeeper
/ Women's Water Polo
Utility
/ Women's Water Polo
Attacker
/ Women's Water Polo
Attacker
/ Women's Water Polo
Attacker
/ Women's Water Polo
Center
/ Women's Water PoloA Conversation With Matt Warshaw
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