No. 9 Fresno State vs No. 14 Michigan
Friday, January 17 • 5 p.m. PT • Aquatics Center • Fresno, Calif.
Watch: OverNght ($)
Live Stats: The FOSH
Twitter: @FresnoStateWP
Series History: Michigan leads, 5-1
No. 9 Fresno State vs No. 4 Cal
Saturday, January 18 • 12:10 p.m. PT • Aquatics Center • Fresno, Calif.
Watch: OverNght ($)
Live Stats: The FOSH
Twitter: @FresnoStateWP
Series History: Cal leads, 9-0
No. 9 Fresno State vs No. 12 UC San Diego
Sunday, January 19 • 3 p.m. PT • Aquatics Center • Fresno, Calif.
Watch: OverNght ($)
Live Stats: The FOSH
Twitter: @FresnoStateWP
Series History: Tied, 1-1
TICKETS
Friday
Single Day Pass: $10
Single Day Pass (children/seniors/military): $5
Fresno State Students: FREE
Saturday
Single Day Pass: $20
Single Day Pass (children/seniors/military): $15
Fresno State Students: FREE
Ticket sales will occur at the entrance to the Aquatics Center on event day. Ticket sales are by walk-up only. There will be no online sales for tickets. There are no advance ticket sales. Cash and credit card will be accepted.
Seating is general admission.
ABOUT THE WEEKEND
Fresno State will host the second annual Polopalooza this weekend.
The 2025 edition of the event includes seven teams, all inside the Top 20 of the preseason national team rankings.
There will be 12 games played over the three days, beginning Friday with Fresno State's game versus Michigan.
All games will have a live stream on OverNght (subscription required)
All games will have live scoring available on The FOSH
New this year, Fresno State has added the "FanZone" to Polopalooza. This area features on-site activities such as live music, food trucks, vendor booths, face painting, yard games, and more.
Fans are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit and enjoy the festivity area between games.
More information on the Polopalooza on-site activities can be found here.
BULLDOG BONES
Fresno State was again picked as the Golden Coast Conference preseason favorite.
Fresno State was ranked No. 9 in the CWPA national preseason team rankings, coming in as the highest ranked GCC program.
For the second year in a row, Fresno State returns all of its All-Americans from the previous season. Hailey Andress, Brooke Ochoa and Abbey Simshauser all return as All-Americans from 2024 and the team's three leading scorers from last season.
Also for the second year in a row, Fresno State will open its season against Michigan.
The Bulldogs are coached by head coach Natalie Benson, who enters her 8th season at the helm.
With a win in the GCC Championship game to win the fourth straight conference tournament title, Benson also secured her 100th win as Fresno State head coach. In seven seasons, she has a 100-71 overall record.
Benson has been named the GCC Coach of the Year for four years in a row.
Fresno State added seven newcomers to the 2025 roster, including six true freshmen and one transfer.
The Bulldogs lost five seniors to graduation in goalkeepers Paula Nieto Jasny and Kelly Villanuava, along with Kaitlin Howarth, Cynthia Rosa and Robyn Greenslade.
Fresno State has four new coaches on staff in assistant coaches Reilly Gallagher and Cecilia Leonard, and graduate assistants Robyn Greenslade and Paula Nieto Jasny.
Preseason favorites, again
The Fresno State water polo team was picked as the preseason favorite in the 2025 Golden Coast Conference preseason coaches' poll, announced by the conference office on Wednesday morning and voted upon by the league's eight head coaches.
The Bulldogs have won the last four GCC tournament titles, and three of the last four regular season titles.
Time flies when you're having fun
Just two years ago, Hailey Andress walked on to campus as a true freshman. She quickly rose to a two-time All-American in her two years with the program. The native of Glendora, Calif. Currently sits fifth in program history with 126 career goals. Last season, she became the fastest player in program history to reach 100 career goals. In 2024, she set the program record with 74 goals. She also owns the single season program record with 14 hat tricks in 2024.
The ceiling for Andress continues to rise as the 2025 season gets started.
Ole Reliable
Alongside Andress is senior Brooke Ochoa, who has also made a name for herself in the Bulldog program. Ochoa returns as a two-time All-American in the pool, playing in every game of her Bulldog career. Last season, she took on a newer-to-her role as the offense was more diverse with playmakers on the perimeter. Ochoa finished the 2024 season with 50 goals and 43 assists. She set the program record for most assists in a season, one season after recording the second-most goals in a season with 60 in 2023.
A senior this year, Ochoa will be looked to to help grow the younger players in the pool this season.
Year two, here we go
Abbey Simshauser transferred to Fresno State from Wagner College ahead of the 2024 season, and made immediate impact earning All-American and All-GCC honors in her first season. Simshauser was the second-leading scorer in 2024 with 72 goals, which tied the second-most goals in a season by a Bulldog in program history. With 11 more goals, Simshauser will break into the top 6 in career goals by a Bulldog, having only done so in her second season.
Confidence in all
Fresno State graduated its long-time goalkeeper in Paula Nieto Jasny, who had the career record with 862 career saves. So the biggest question heading into 2025 is, who will fill those shoes? The answer: they all will.
The Bulldogs return one other with experience as a Bulldog in second-year player Ida Tully-Giles. Then a true freshman, she appeared in 12 games and had 36 total saves while allowing 36 goals.
Fresno State added one transfer goal keeper in Alana Lillie, from Delta College. Fresno State also returns Abigayle Armstrong and Islay Martin-Hill.
Homegrown
Fresno State has one player on the roster from the Central Valley in Sidney Strickland. The Clovis West graduate enters her second season as a Bulldog, and is ready to take on a bigger role as a defender for the 'Dogs this year.
As a true freshman, she appeared in nine games with five goals, four assists, six steals and a field block. Playing mostly as a reserve player, she was one of four true freshmen to see minutes for the Bulldogs in 2024.
Freshman no more
Caitlyn Mossman was a GCC All-Freshman Team selection in 2024, playing in 16 games as a true freshman. She scored 16 goals on 34 shots, and added 14 drawn exclusions and seven steals. She became a key part to the Bulldogs' rotation last season, and was one of four true freshmen to see time in the season.
Lead the way
Fresno State is led by head coach Natalie Benson, who earned her 100th win as head coach in the GCC Championship win last April. Benson enters her eighth season at the helm of the program, hired to lead the 'Dogs in their inaugural 2018 season. She has a 100-71 overall record at Fresno State.
Benson has been named the GCC Coach of the Year the last four seasons.
Brief 2024 recap
The Central Valley program looks to extend on the success that it saw in 2024, its best season in program history. The 2024 season was a big year of firsts for the program as the Bulldogs opened the season by winning six in-a-row, including a win over then-No. 1 Stanford. It was the first time in program history that the 'Dogs took down a top-ranked opponent and the first time they defeated Stanford. Two weeks later, the Bulldogs would again defeat the nation's No. 1 team, this time in USC. The win on Feb. 3 was the first time the Bulldogs defeated USC in program history. Before defeating USC at the Triton Invite, the 'Dogs defeated UC Irvine – the first win in the series for the Bulldogs.
With a record of 8-3, and having defeated seven ranked teams in that span, the Bulldogs earned themselves the highest national team ranking in program history, checking in at No. 3. Fresno State earned the highest ranking by any program in Golden Coast Conference history at No. 3.