#23 CSUN Opens Big West Play at Cal State Fullerton

Friday, February 20

Fullerton, Calif.

7:00 p.m.

California State University at Northridge

Cal State Fullerton

Photo by: Chuck Marvel

#23 CSUN Opens Big West Play at Cal State Fullerton

2/19/2026 10:13:00 AM | Women's Water Polo

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---The 23rd-ranked CSUN Water Polo team opens Big West play on Friday evening with a road test at Cal State Fullerton. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+ beginning at 7 p.m.

ABOUT LAST WEEK
The Matadors (9-3) split four matches at Santa Clara's Bronco Invitational where CSUN took on three ranked teams.

Last Friday, CSUN knocked off host Santa Clara by a 12-5 score. Leading from start-to-finish, the Matadors received a hat trick from leading scorer Mira Dravucz while three others had multi-goal efforts. In the night cap, the Matadors would fall to No. 12 Marist in a high-scoring 16-11 contest. The Matadors fell into a 10-4 deficit to the Red Foxes before pulling to within 14-11 late in the fourth quarter, but Marist held on down the stretch. Against Marist, the trio of Dravucz, Sophia Cooper and Mackenzie Wood had two goals apiece.

On Saturday, CSUN would come out on the losing end of a 14-8 decision to No. 18 San Jose State to begin the day. The Matadors kept it close early against the Spartans, but SJSU broke open a three-goal game at the half with a five-goal third period and held on the rest of the way. In the finale of the invite, CSUN came away with a 12-11 win over the 22nd-ranked Pacific Tigers. CSUN and UOP were even through the first half at 6-6, but the Matadors pulled ahead with a four-goal third period. In the fourth quarter, the Matadors received a timely goal from Kianna Melvin to hold on for the victory over Pacific. Dravucz had four goals versus the Tigers while Staine recorded five saves in front of the cage.

MOVING UP THE RANKINGS
After holding on to the No. 25 spot in the national top-25 rankings over the past three weeks, CSUN moved up to No. 23 this week, the highest ranking for the program this season. Aside from week one where the Matadors received votes in the poll, CSUN has maintained a top-25 ranking in every other week of this season.

YOUTH MOVEMENT
Most of CSUN's offensive production has come from underclassmen this season with freshman Mira Dravucz scoring a team-high 37 goals on 56.9 percent shooting to go with 49 points. Sophomore Sofia Martinez has produced 23 goals along with a team-high 17 steals. Other double-digit scorers this season include freshmen Ella Furuholmen (19 goals), Sophia Cooper (14 goals), Ashley Strickland (13 goals) and Marjorie Krueger (12 goals) while sophomore Mackenzie Wood has netted 11 goals. Overall, the team's top nine scorers have been underclassmen as sophomore Lucie Lapuz and freshman Raygan Carroll have 10 goals apiece as well.

CLOSING IN ON HISTORY
With one more win, head coach Matt Warshaw would tie Molly Barnes' CSUN all-time team record for coaching wins. Picking up two victories last week, Warshaw now stands at 126 career wins and could reach the school record on Friday. Warshaw is already the longest tenured head coach in Matador women's water polo history, leading the program for nine seasons of competition and 10 seasons overall. Barnes, CSUN's first women's water polo head coach, totaled 127 wins in eight seasons at the helm from 2002-09.

SCOUTING CAL STATE FULLERTON
The Titans are 11-5 on the season, including going 5-1 at Titan Aquatics Center. The team split two games last week as the Titans beat Chapman 12-9 before falling to ninth-ranked LMU 13-10. Fullerton already has a top-20 win this season, defeating No. 19 UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 31. Emme Doube-MacLeod has 27 goals, 20 assists and 47 points to lead the squad while Sofia Moschetti has recorded 26 goals. In front of the goal, Renske Boxsem has recorded 94 saves with a 11.91 goals-against-average.

Series History: CSUN holds a 2-1 edge over Fullerton in the all-time series, which began in 2023. The teams played last season at Matador Pool with CSUN prevailing by a 12-6 margin.

#GoMatadors