CSUN Embarks on 23rd Season of Water Polo on Saturday

Saturday, January 18

Long Beach, Calif.

8:00 a.m.

California State University at Northridge

Cal State Monterey Bay

CSUN Embarks on 23rd Season of Water Polo on Saturday

1/17/2025 11:08:00 AM | Women's Water Polo

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---No. 16 CSUN Water Polo opens its 23rd season of competition on Saturday morning at Long Beach State's Beach Invite. The Matadors will play twice at the invite, beginning with an 8 a.m. match against Cal State Monterey Bay and finishing with a 3:30 p.m. contest against Azusa Pacific. Live stats will be available for both matches.

TEAM OVERVIEW
The Matadors look to build upon on their winningest season in a decade last season. CSUN finished 18-15 overall and 2-5 in Big West play while making the jump in the national rankings, placing at No. 16 by season's end, the highest such ranking for the program since 2015. The 2024 season was highlighted by two top-15 wins as the Matadors knocked off No. 15 UC Santa Barbara and No. 14 UC Davis in the Big West season. CSUN would conclude the year finishing tied for fifth in the Big West standings.

Once again, the Matadors will play in one of the toughest conferences in the nation with seven teams, including CSUN, ranked in the top 20 and three ranked in the top 10. CSUN returns 14 letterwinners from 2024 including 12 upperclassmen as well as 10 seniors on the veteran-laden roster. The team's three All-Americans from last season, seniors Dorottya Telek, Anna Pal and Helena Sandhagen, all return this season after accounting for 202 of the team's total 351 goals.

Head coach Matt Warshaw enters his ninth year leading the CSUN Water Polo program in 2025. Over the past two seasons, CSUN has gone 35-28 and collected back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2014-15.

TELEK'S SENIOR SEASON
A native of Budapest, Hungary native, senior center Dorottya Telek wraps up her historic CSUN career in 2025. Telek is coming off another All-American award last year, her third consecutive, as well as an All-Big West First Team selection. She would also pick up 2025 Preseason All-Conference honors on Jan. 10. In 2024, Telek had a conference-best 94 goals to go with team-bests in steals (32), field blocks (13) and exclusions drawn (110). From the field, Telek was an efficient 52.2 percent in shooting with 21 total multiple-goal performances. Telek, who broke CSUN's single-season goals record with 101 in 2023, also shattered the team's all-time career goal record last season, finishing with 272 by season's end.

CSUN PICKED SIXTH IN BIG WEST
As a team, CSUN finished with 18 points to take sixth in the 2025 Preseason Big West Coaches' Poll. UC Irvine was picked to win the conference with 44 points and three first-place votes. Hawai'i, last season's Big West champion, was picked second with 42 points and one first-place vote followed by Long Beach State in third with 41 points and four first-place votes. UC San Diego was placed fourth with 32 points and UC Davis was picked fifth with 24 points. Below CSUN, UC Santa Barbara was seventh in the poll with 16 points and Cal State Fullerton was eighth with seven points.

CSUN'S SENIOR CLASS
Senior Anna Pal looks to cap her exceptional CSUN career in strong fashion in 2025. A two-time All-American, Pal topped CSUN with 127 points and 62 assists to go with a career-high 65 goals last season. Her fellow All-American teammate Helena Sandhagen has returned as well after registering a career-best 43 goals on 44.8 percent shooting. Other top returners include senior Kianna Melvin, who had 22 goals and 32 points in her first season with CSUN last year, and senior Valeria Martinez, who had 18 goals and 18 assists a year ago. The rest of the senior class includes Tatum Scarry (42 points), Jessica Matkovich (22 points), Nicole Bacoyanis (12 points), Kate Cornejo (11 points) and Kelsey Meyers (10 points).

MEET THE MATADORS
Among the team's veteran group, the Matadors have also brought aboard six newcomers including five true freshmen in 2025. Sophomore goalkeeper Erika Staine is the team's lone transfer as she comes from Arizona State where she played in four total matches as a freshman. Attacker Mackenzie Wood, one of the five freshmen, joins CSUN from Murrieta Valley High School where she won a CIF title. Freshman Sofia Martinez, another attacker, joins forced with her older sister Valeria Martinez this season after prepping at Shurr High School and earning international experience with the Mexican National Team. Abigel Kiss is another newcomer who brings to CSUN experience playing internationally in Germany and her native Hungary. Lucie Lapuz had a decorated prep career at Davis High School where she won a CIF title while goalkeeper Marin Byars brings added depth at goalkeeper after playing club for her hometown Davis Water Polo Club.

ABOUT CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY
The Otters went 5-22 overall and 0-5 in the Western Water Polo Association last season. The team has returned top scorers Autumn Day (41 goals), Kaya Eaton (34 goals) and Annika Harper (28 goals). Day also finished with 77 points including tallying 36 assists. In goal, the Otters boast three freshmen in Marissa White, Kendra Weaver and Ani McKay. As a team, Cal State Monterey Bay averaged 8.4 goals per game in 2024.

Series History: CSUN leads Cal State Monterey Bay 8-0 in the all-time series with six coming in neutral-site games. The team last played in 2023 with CSUN picking up a 10-5 road victory.

ABOUT AZUSA PACIFIC
The Cougars went 16-13 overall and 3-4 in the Golden Coast Conference in 2024. Alexandra Akritidou returns after finishing second on the team in goals with 46 to go with 32 assists last season while other top scorers include Laia Marsinach Oretega (41 goals) and Montana White (34 goals). The team's two goalkeepers from last season, Alex Airitam and Daniela Herrero Miralles, have made their way back this season with the duo accumulating 288 total saves in 2024. As a team, Azusa Pacific averaged 12.4 goals per game a season ago.

Series History: The Matadors have won all 15 meetings with Azusa Pacific in team history including picking up a pair of wins last season by 11-10 and 16-8 margins. Anna Pal led CSUN to a comeback win over APU last season, scoring the game-tying goal at the end of regulation before hitting the game winner late in overtime.

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