George Washington University
#9 San Jose State
Water Polo Closes California Trip at 2-2
9/21/2024 5:37:00 PM | Water Polo
Buff & Blue best Fresno Pacific and UC Merced, fall to pair of ranked opponents
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The George Washington University water polo team (5-5, 1-0 MAWPC) wrapped up its four-game road trip in Northern California with a 2-2 record. The GW Revs fell to No. 9 San Jose State (14-3) in its first match in California on Thursday, before rebounding with wins over Fresno Pacific (19-13) and UC Merced (18-7) on Friday, and eventually falling to No. 18 Santa Clara on Saturday (17-10).
GW 3, No. 9 San Jose State 14
GW went into battle with the ninth-ranked team in the country to begin the trip and weren't able to match SJSU's pace, falling 14-3. It took GW until midway through the second quarter to settle in with its first goal, and after sitting in an 8-2 deficit through the first half, the Revolutionaries couldn't push back into the match. Andrija Sekulic, Adonis Vlassis and Andrei Khudiakov were each responsible for one goal.
GW 19, Fresno Pacific 13
Adonis Vlassis led the charge with eight goals and three assists in the first match on Friday to lift the Revolutionaries over the Sunbirds, 19-13. The match was close throughout. GW held a 13-12 lead halfway through the fourth quarter but was able to pull away late to secure the win. Sekulic and Yam Kabakov had three goals apiece, while Kai De Orbeta swiped a team-high four steals. Luca Castorina mined the net, making seven saves in the victory.
GW 18, UC Merced 7
After facing FPU, the Revolutionaries had a quick turnaround of just a few hours to get ready for UC Merced, but GW was up for the challenge and took down the Bobcats, 18-7. GW kept UC Merced at arms reach for most of the match, and after leading 8-4 at half and 14-6 after three quarters, GDUB was able to cruise to victory in a low-pressure final frame. Antonio Florena and Leo Lueddemann each had four goals to pace the GW attack. Sekulic dished a team-high three assists, while Florena had a game-high three steals. Castorina made nine saves in his second win in goal of the day.
GW 10, No. 18 Santa Clara 17
The Revolutionaries battled hard in the final game of the trip vs. No. 18 Santa Clara, but were unable to best the Broncos in their home pool and fell, 17-10. GW kept pace with Santa Clara throughout the first quarter, and were down just three goals at half. The Revolutionaries had the Broncos within three again after their opening goal of the fourth quarter, but that's as close as they would get as the Broncos pulled away late. Kabakov, Lueddemann, Florena and Sekulic each had two goals for the Buff & Blue, while Castorina made 11 saves in net.
UP NEXT
GW begins the heart of conference play on Saturday, Sept. 28 in the New York City area. The Revolutionaries will take on Wager on Saturday morning (10:00 a.m.), before facing No. 10 (T) Fordham in the afternoon (4:00 p.m.).
