SAN DIEGO – The No. 23-ranked San Diego State water polo team jumps into the deep end of the pool with a trip to Tempe, Ariz., this weekend for the ASU Invitational. In its opening weekend of competition of the 2025 season, the Aztecs play twice on Saturday, first against No. 25 California Baptist followed later in the day in a game versus host No. 13 Arizona State. Then on Sunday, SDSU opens with Cal Lutheran and wraps up the event with a game against No. 15 UC Davis. All the games will be contested at Mona Plummer Aquatic Center.
This Week
Saturday, January 18
No. 23 San Diego State vs. No. 25 California Baptist – 11:40 a.m. PT
No. 23 San Diego State at No. 13 Arizona State – 2:20 p.m. PT
Sunday, January 19
No. 23 San Diego State vs. Cal Lutheran – 10:30 a.m. PT
No. 23 San Diego State vs. No. 15 UC Davis – 1 p.m. PT
Storylines
- Dana Ochsner, entering her second full season leading the Aztecs, posted the program’s first winning record in seven years the last season (17-15), and heads into 2025 with her team ranked No. 23 in the College Water Polo Association's Preseason Poll.
-For the fourth year in a row, the Aztecs are picked to finish fourth in the Golden Coast Conference (GCC) preseason coaches poll. Fresno State is predicted to defend its 2024 conference title and earned 47 points and five first-place votes, followed by Loyola Marymount (43 points, three first-place vote), Pacific (36 points), San Diego State (30 points), Azusa Pacific (25 points), California Baptist (21 points), Santa Clara (11 points) and Concordia (9 points).
-In the 30 seasons of Aztec water polo, SDSU has a 595-405 record.
-SDSU is looking to win its season opener for the sixth time in the last 10 years. Last season San Diego State won its season opener, 20-8 against Cal State Monterey Bay at the Titan Invitational in Fullerton, Calif.
-The Aztecs are 20-10 all-time in the first game of the season and are a perfect 16-0 in season openers when the Aztecs are the higher ranked team.
-San Diego State leads the all-time series with California Baptist, 27-2. The last time the Lancers bettered SDSU was an 8-4 decision on April 13, 2001. The Aztecs have won 25 straight and are 12-2 in neutral site matchups in a series which started in the 2000 season.
- The Aztecs and Sun Devils have met 30 times, with San Diego State trailing 12-18 in the all-time series. SDSU led the series 12-5 after a February 26, 2012, 9-8 win, but ASU has won the last 13 times the sides have faced off in the pool. In games played in Arizona State’s pool, the Aztecs have two wins in 11 all-time games.
-Entering its 22nd season of water polo, the Cal Lutheran Regals compete in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC). Their Sunday meeting will be the first time they have faced each other in the pool.
-The series against UC Davis began in 1995 with a 21-1 victory for the Aztecs. The teams have met a total of 29 times, with SDSU taking seven of the first nine matchups, and overall San Diego State is 20-9 vs. the Aggies. The Aztecs are 16-8 in neutral site games against UC Davis but are 4-3 in the last seven neutral site get togethers.
-The Aztecs' first official home contest is scheduled for Saturday, February 8 at the Aquaplex. SDSU will host Cal State Monterey Bay at 1 p.m. PT). Before that game, the team will play an exhibition against a team of its alumni on Saturday, January 25 at 1 p.m. PT.
-The Aztecs return eight of their top 10 goal scorers from last year and overall will need to only replace 71 of last year's roster's 353 goals.
-Junior Claudia Valdes, a 2024 first team All-Golden Coast Conference (GCC) performer, returns as the team's leading scorer with 76 goals, 40 assists and a team-high 116 points. In two seasons on The Mesa, she has 130 goals, 73 assists and 203 points. Last season, among GCC players, she ranked No. 1 in blocks, No. 2 in points, No. 3 in goals, No.4 in points per game, No.5 in goal per game, and No. 7 in assists & steals per game.
-Senior Rose Kanemy brings back her team-high 54 assists, as well as 27 goals and 81 points. For her career, she ranks No. 4 on the program’s career assists list (136) and at her career average of 45 assists per season, would finish in second on the list with 181 assists.
-Valdes and Kanemy will be boosted by 2024 All-Freshman Team and honorable mention All-GCC honoree sophomore Mimi Stoupas (38 goals), as well as sophomore Sydney Gish (29 goals and 24 assists) and junior Shannon Murphy (121 goals and 20 assists).
-Goalie Tiaare Ahovelo, a junior, played 623:45 minutes last season and is back for her third season as an Aztec. Ahovelo (9-12) balanced 235 goals allowed against 185 saves for a 44.0 save percentage and a 12.06 GAA. In addition, Ahovelo totaled 26 steals and seven assists in 2024.
- Overall, the Aztecs feature a roster that has three freshmen, four sophomores, nine juniors and six seniors.