SAN DIEGO – Off to its most wins after 21 games, in seven seasons, the No. 23-ranked San Diego State water polo team opens Golden Coast Conference play in the 2024 season at No. 6 Fresno State on Saturday in its lone game of the week.
This Week
Saturday, March 16
No. 23 San Diego State at No. 6 Fresno State – noon PT
Storylines
- San Diego State stands at 11-10 after completing play at the 2024 Aztec Invitational last weekend. It is the first time since the start of the 2017 season that the program has had a winning record after 21 games.
-Sophomore attacker Claudia Valdes earned inclusion on the 2024 John R. Cutino Award Watch List on Thursday. The Cutino Award recognizes the best collegiate water polo player in the nation and Valdes is the first Aztec to receive recognition from the Award since Holly Hertzell was one of four finalists for honor in 2004. In addition, Valdes was named the GCC Player of the Week after scoring 12 goals to go along with eight assists and six blocks as the San Diego State water polo team went 3-1 at The Convergence in Claremont, Calif.
-In the 30 seasons of Aztec water polo, SDSU has a 589-400 record (.596).
-Entering its 11th season as a member of the Golden Coast Conference, San Diego State has an overall record of 53-11 in league contests, four regular season titles and one conference tournament title.
-The Aztecs have defeated the Bulldogs on three occasions in the 10 meetings of the all-time series. San Diego State took three of the first four times the teams played but have not come out on the winning end in the last six matchups, including a 14-9 loss the last time SDSU played at Fresno State on April 2, 2022.
-Sophomore Claudia Valdes leads the Aztecs in shots (83), goals (51), points (73), shot percentage (.614), steals (24) and blocks (12), and is second in assists (22). Among Golden Coast Conference performers, the sophomore attacker ranks No. 2 in points and blocks, No. 3 in goals, No. 6 in steals, and No. 9 in assists, and nationally is No. 3 in blocks, No. 7 in points, No. 10 in goals.
-Junior Rose Kanemy leads the team with 30 assists and has scored 15 times for a total of 45 points. She also has 11 steals and six blocks. Kanemy has nine multi-assists games this year, including a game high four vs. Biola.
-Freshman Mimi Stoupas has a team-best 34 exclusions drawn and ranks No. 2 in goals with 24 on 41 shots (.585 shot percentage). She has seven steals and eight multi-goal games including three hat tricks.
-Sophomore Sydney Gish has scored 21 goals and assisted on 11 more for a total of 32 points on the season. On 40 shots she has a .525 shot percentage. Her 20 ejections drawn are second on the team and 13 steals rank No. 3.
-Goalie Tiaare Ahovelo has spent most of the time in the cage for the Aztecs. In 407:45, Ahovelo has seen 169 goals go in the net, made 126 saves (.427 save percentage), has four assists and seven steals and has a 5-7 record.
No. 23 Water Polo Opens GCC Play at No. 6 Fresno State
