SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The West Coast Conference announced its 2023 men's water polo preseason awards on Tuesday with No. 6 Pacific picked as the preseason favorite to win the WCC Men's Water Polo Tournament. This men's water polo season marks the launch of the WCC seven-member league comprised of four WCC member schools (Pacific, Pepperdine, LMU, and Santa Clara) and three affiliates (Air Force, California Baptist and San Jose State).
The preseason poll and the seven-person All-WCC team were selected solely by a vote of the Conference’s seven head coaches. Coaches cannot vote for their own teams or student-athletes.
The Tigers, currently ranking sixth nationally in the CWPA preseason poll, took first with 34 points, including four first-place votes. The Tigers tied for most athletes on the preseason team with two, including honorable mention All-America selection
Aleksa Sisakovic, and return several key role players from their 2022 NCAA semifinals run.
No. 11 Pepperdine finished second in the poll, close behind the Tigers, with 33 points. The Waves earned three first-place votes and had two athletes make the preseason team, tied most of any program. No. 13 LMU rounded out the top three teams on the 2023 WCC Men's Water Polo Preseason Poll with 24 points.
California Baptist, San Jose State, and Santa Clara each garnered one athlete on the preseason team.
The regular season will get underway this Saturday, Sept. 2. Conference games begin Friday, Oct. 27, while the 2023 WCC Men’s Water Polo Tournament will be held from Nov. 17-19, and hosted by Pepperdine at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool.
2023 WCC Men’s Water Polo Preseason Poll
| Place |
Team |
First Place |
Points |
| 1. |
Pacific |
4 |
34 |
| 2. |
Pepperdine |
3 |
33 |
| 3. |
LMU |
|
24 |
| 4. |
San Jose State |
|
20 |
| 5. |
Santa Clara |
|
14 |
| 6. |
California Baptist |
|
23 |
| 7. |
Air Force |
|
7 |
| 2023 Men’s Water Polo Preseason All-WCC Team |
| Name |
Institution |
Yr. |
| Adam Csapo |
Pepperdine |
So. |
| Chase Raisin |
Santa Clara |
Sr. |
| Aleksa Sisakovic |
Pacific |
Sr. |
| Bance Szabo |
San Jose State |
Sr. |
| Caleb Teraoka |
California Baptist |
Sr. |
| Nico Tierney |
Pepperdine |
Sr. |
| Stefan Vavic |
Pacific |
Sr. |