No. 3 USC Men’s Water Polo Returns to Conference Play with Two Top-4 Matchups

Saturday, October 31

Stanford, Calif.

1:00 p.m.

USC

Stanford

Photo by: Bryce Dechert

October 28, 2026 | Men's Water Polo

USCMWP Notebook (Oct. 28)

LOS ANGELES – Following a non-conference home win over Air Force, No. 3 USC Men's Water Polo is back in MPSF action with two games in Northern California. On Saturday, the Trojans will take on No. 2 Stanford before matching up with No. 4 California on Sunday.

Schedule
Saturday - #3 USC (14-3) at #2 Stanford (15-2) – 1:00 p.m.
Sunday - #3 USC (14-3) at #4 California (12-4) – 1:00 p.m.

History
USC is 82-69 all-time against Stanford. The teams have played twice already in 2026 with the Cardinal having won both contests. The two teams faced off on Sept. 19 in the Overnght MPSF Invitational semifinal, as Stanford picked up a 10-8 win, and matched up again on Oct. 4 with Stanford winning 16-12 on the road. Prior to that, USC had won the previous five matchups, going 4-0 last season against Stanford, including a 11-10 victory in the MPSF Tournament semifinals.

USC has taken a two game lead in the all-time series against California, leading 75-73 after two wins over the Bears this season. The Trojans beat California 13-12 on Sept. 20 to take third place in the Overnght MPSF Invitational and claimed a thrilling, 15-14 sudden death victory on Oct. 3. at home. In 2025, the Bears won the season series 2-1.

Scouting Stanford
Stanford comes into the weekend with a record of 15-2 and ranked No. 2 in the country. The Cardinal have picked up three top-4 wins including two over USC and one over No. 1 UCLA. Last weekend, they took down No. 9 Long Beach St. and No. 11 UC San Diego on the road.

Junior driver Ben Forer has a team high 55 points to lead a Cardinal attack which has totaled 277 goals. Like USC, Stanford also had three players named to the Cutino Award watch list. Junior attacker Botond Balough, senior center Alex Gheorghe and senior utility James Rozolis-Hill round out the selections for the Cardinal. Balough has registered 30 goals. Gheorghe leads the team in drawn exclusions with 28 and has added 21 goals. A graduate student who previously played at Harvard, Rozolis-Hill has recorded 30 goals with his new squad.

Scouting California
The No. 4 ranked California Bears currently hold a 12-4 record with all its losses coming to MPSF teams. The Bears' offense has produced 254 goals led by sophomore attacker Beso Akhvlediani. Akhvlediani has racked up 45 goals on 32 assists for California and has scored in 15 straight contests. Most recently, the Bears picked up a 22-11 home win over No. 16 Pepperdine.

California had two players named to the Cutino Award watch list in redshirt-junior center Dominic Brown and sophomore goalkeeper Aran Pina. Brown has tallied 19 goals and leads his squad in drawn exclusions with 26. Pina has seen action in 12 games this season, recording 103 saves, a .520 save percentage and 21 steals. He was named MPSF Player of the Week on Oct. 19 after a 12 save performance in a win over No. 1 Stanford.

Rankings
USC remains in the top five of the latest CWPA poll, coming in at No. 3 in the Oct. 28 edition.

Last Time Out
USC cruised past Air Force 21-8 in its final home game of the regular season. The Trojans scored 20 goals for the sixth time this season. Strahinja Krstic led the way with five goals.

MPSF Stat Standouts
The Trojans are all over the MPSF stat leaderboards as Strahinja Krstic is third in the conference in goals with 47. Efe Naipoglu is first in the MPSF with 48 assists while also placing third in points with 77. Krstic leads the MPSF with 68 drawn exclusions. Naipoglu and Krstic are tied for second in steals with 24 each. Charles Mills is second in the conference in goalie saves with 118 over 17 games.

Trio Of Trojans
Three members of the USC men's water polo team were named to the Cutino Award Watch List as announced by the Olympic Club. Robert López Duart was named to the list for the fourth consecutive season and was joined by first time honorees Strahinja Krstic and Charles Mills. The watch list, which is named in honor of the late Hall of Fame coach, recognizes the best player in men's and women's college water polo. This watch list was created in 2022 in an effort to help promote the collegiate game, awareness of the award and the tremendous play of athletes across the country. Twenty athletes, as submitted by varsity college coaches around the country, are recognized for their outstanding play.

Top 20 Victories
Through the first fifteen games of the 2026 season, USC has proven itself against strong competition, picking up wins over 11 ranked opponents including five against top-10 teams. The Trojans started off the season with wins over No. 20 Saint Mary's and No. 15 UC Santa Barbara at the Triton Invitational. The following weekend, USC took down No. 7 Long Beach State and No. 9 Pepperdine, before knocking off No. 13 UC Irvine on the next weekend. At the MPSF Invitational, The Trojans took down No. 16 California Baptist University, No. 11 San Jose State and No. 4 California. The win over California was USC's first top-five victory of the season. The Trojans followed that up with a win over No. 12 Pacific, another win over No. 4 California for their second top-five victory and a win over No. 10 UC San Diego.

Hot Start
USC got off to a blistering start to begin the 2026 campaign, having won its first nine games of the season for the third straight year, and 11 of their first 12. The Trojans have picked up eight victories after leading wire-to-wire. This is in large part due to USC's outstanding first quarter play as they have outscored opponents 75-42 in the opening frame.

Offensive Outburst
The Trojan offense has put on a show in 2026. USC has fired home 306 goals across 17 games, averaging 18 goals per game compared to 10.9 for their opponents. USC scored 107 goals in the first four games of the season, the most over any four-game span in program history.

It has been a balanced attack for the Trojans as every field player has gotten on the scoresheet, but it is USC's returning All-Americans who have shined brightest. Strahinja Krstić and Robert López Duart lead the team with 47 and 42 goals respectively. Krstić has scored at least a hat trick in eight games. He set and then matched his career high of six goals against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Long Beach State. López Duart has scored in all but one game and set his USC career high with a perfect 6-6 game from the field against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Efe Naipoglu and Luke Nelson are next in scoring for the Trojans at 29 goals each.

Helping Hands
USC had a lot to replace in the assists department after all four of its top assisters from 2025 graduated. The Trojans have seen several players step up this season, with all three of the team's top assist leaders in their first or second season at USC. Sophomore Efe Naipoglu leads the team with 48 assists, followed by sophomore transfer Apostolos Georgaras with 29 and freshman Ante Jerkovic at 26. As a team, USC has already registered 241 assists through 17 games, averaging 14.2 assists per game compared to 11.0 per game last season.

USC Defense
The Trojan defense clamped down at the MPSF Invitational as USC allowed just 10.5 goals over the four games, compared to 12.5 allowed from the previous four. USC collected 43 steals, over the four games bringing their season total to 140 compared to just 30 for their opponents. They also earned 17 field blocks across four games including eight in one game against San Jose State, which matches the most the Trojans have tallied in a single game since they did so versus Stanford on Sept. 21, 2025. 14 different Trojans recorded either a steal or a field block during the tournament.

Center Of Attention
Strahinja Krstić has been a force to be reckoned with through 17 games for USC. The sophomore 2-meter leads both the Trojans in goals with 47 and the MPSF in drawn exclusions with 67. The 2025 MPSF Newcomer of the Year has scored at least three goals in nine games. Krstić set his career high with six against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and then later matched it against No. 7 Long Beach State. Krstić has also racked up 24 steals and added three field blocks on defense.

Robert In the Record Books
Since transferring to USC prior to the 2024 season, Robert López Duart has established himself as one of the top goal scorers in Trojan history. With his four-goal performance against No. 4 California, López Duart moved into the top 10 on USC's all-time goals list. He currently ranks seventh with 172 career goals through the first three seasons of his USC career and is on pace to continue climbing the list this season.

López Duart also owns two spots in the top 15 for single-season goals, ranking 11th with 66 goals in 2025 and 13th with 64 goals in 2024. He has also recorded two of the top single-game goal totals in program history, scoring five goals against Stanford in 2025 and a career-high six goals against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps this season.

MPSF Weekly Awards
Efe Naipoglu earned his second MPSF Player of the Week honor of the 2026 season after a dominant all-around performance against No. 10 UC San Diego, recording six points on two goals and four assists while adding two steals, two field blocks and a drawn exclusion. He also won both sprints, helping USC score on each opening possession en route to a top-10 victory. Naipoglu previously earned his first career MPSF Player of the Week honor on Sept. 7 after setting a career high with five goals and matching his career best with four assists against No. 7 Long Beach State before adding two goals and three assists against No. 9 Pepperdine.

Ante Jerkovic earned the first MPSF weekly award honors of his career after being named the MPSF Newcomer of the Week. Jerkovic tallied eight points across two games in the opening weekend of MPSF play, finishing with three goals, five assists, two drawn exclusions, four steals and a field block. In the win over No. 4 California, Jerkovic recorded a career-high four assists, including the game-winning assist on Strahinja Krstic's golden goal. Jerkovic also added a key field block that led to a Trojan goal on the counterattack. Against No. 2 Stanford, Jerkovic paced the Trojans with three goals while adding an assist, two drawn exclusions and a career-high four steals.

Robert López Duart was named the first MPSF Player of the Week (Aug. 31) as he led the Trojan offense to a perfect 4-0 weekend at the Triton Invitational. The senior driver went a perfect 3-3 and added two assists in the season opener to take down No. 20 Saint Mary's. He followed that up with an astounding six-for-six outing against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and tacked on two helpers for eight total points. In all four games, López Duart scored at least two or more goals, including three against No. 15 UCSB. López Duart finished the weekend 14-for-16 with five assists and four steals.

Tyler Anderson had a strong start to his collegiate campaign as he was named the MPSF Newcomer of the Week (Aug. 31). He turned in a 2-2 performance in his first ever game and racked up seven drawn exclusions against #20 Saint Mary's. The freshman out of Newport Beach, Calif. went 7-for-9 through the four games and drew a team high 12 exclusions.

The Duo At 2-Meter
USC's 2-meter pair of Strahinja Krstić and Tyler Anderson had high expectations coming into the season, and they have delivered. Krstić, who earned MPSF Newcomer of the Year honors following an outstanding freshman campaign, has picked up right where he left off, with Anderson coming to join him at center. Krstić and Anderson have combined to draw 100 exclusions, with Krstić registering 67 and Anderson 33. The pair have helped create 48 6-on-5 goals for the Trojans.

Trojan Personnel
USC had five total All-Americans including two First Team All-America selections and three will be back in the Trojan lineup for 2026.

Cutino Award finalist Robert López Duart led USC in scoring for the second straight season and will look to be an offensive catalyst in his senior season. López Duart tallied 66 goals and had a team best 17 multiple-goal outings. A First Team All-America selection, López Duart added 27 assists, 23 steals and 11 blocks to the stat sheet in a strong 2025 campaign. The senior driver was also named to the NCAA All-Tournament First Team, MPSF All-Tournament Team and All-MPSF Second Team.

Charles Mills will be the main man in the cage for the second straight season. Mills took a big step forward in 2025 with 177 saves and .501 save percentage in goal. The redshirt junior was named the MPSF All-Tournament MVP thanks to 21 saves, two steals and two assists at the conference tournament. Mills was named to the All-America Third Team, the first All-America honors of his career. He also garnered All-MPSF Honorable Mention recognition and was the MPSF All-Tournament Team goalie.

The 2025 MPSF Newcomer of the Year Strahinja Krstić will help lead a daunting two-meter crew for the Trojans. Krstić drew a team high 65 exclusions and scored 49 goals. Krstić collected All-America Second Team honors as well as NCAA Tournament First Team, All-MPSF

Last Season
USC finished the 2025 campaign as the runner up at the NCAA Championships. The Trojans posted a 23-4 overall record, going 6-1 at home and 8-1 on the road. Of USC's 23 wins, 19 of them came against ranked opponents.

USC opened the season with nine straight wins including winning the Triton Invitational. The Trojans went 4-2 in regular season conference play and won their fourth straight MPSF tournament to earn the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament.

USC reached the final of the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in the past six seasons and 19 of the past 21. The Trojans have qualified for the NCAA tournament in every season since 2005.

New Faces To Uytengsu
USC will welcome seven newcomers for the 2026 season. The group features three attackers, two center defenders, one utility and one center.

The lone incoming transfer was a big one for the Trojans. Apostolos Georgaras (Attacker/Patras, Greece) joins the squad following a strong freshman season at the University of the Pacific in which he was named a Third Team All-American and the WCC Freshman of the Year. Georgaras led the Tigers in goals (73) and total points (93).

Georgaras will be joined by six true freshmen – Tyler Anderson (Center/Newport Beach, Calif.), Marc Angelescu (Center Defender/Barcelona, Spain), Ante Jerković (Attacker/Dubrovnik, Croatia), Camden Kocur (Attacker/Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Adrian Senciac (Utility/Palos Verdes, Calif.) and Nathan Simoncelli (Center Defender/Corona Del Mar).

First Year Phenoms
This season, USC boasts three players who won conference Newcomer or Freshman of the Year awards. Strahinja Krstić, Apostolos Georgaras and Robert López Duart have each taken home the award throughout their respective careers. The Trojans are the only team in the country to have three such award winners on its roster.

Krstić was named the 2025 MPSF Newcomer of the Year after an outstanding freshman season at USC. He tallied 49 goals, which included a 22-game scoring streak, and led the Trojans with 65 drawn exclusions. He was also named to the All-American Second Team and earned NCAA Tournament First Team honors.

Apostolos Georgaras joined the Trojans fresh off being named the 2025 WCC Freshman of the Year after a stellar campaign at the University of Pacific. He led the team in goals (73), points (93) and steals (37) while also being named to the All-American Third Team and All-WCC First Team.

Before his two outstanding seasons at USC, Robert López Duart won the 2023 Big West Freshman of the year award while at Long Beach State. In that season, he was the team's top scorer with 87 goals, second most in a single-season in LBSU history, and led the team with 30 assists. That season, López Duart was also named to the All-American Second Team and the All-Big West First Team.

Comforts of Home
In 2025, the Trojans hosted just seven home games at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center. USC went 6-1 in those contests and will look to capitalize on that success with 10 home matchups in 2026 in addition to hosting the MPSF Tournament.

This will be the first time the Trojans have hosted the MPSF Tournament since 2022, when the Trojans began their run of four consecutive conference championships.

International Experience
The 2026 Trojan squad was well represented across several national teams throughout the offseason.

Charles Mills, Luke Nelson, Gavin Conant and Tyler Anderson each suited up for the United States. Mills and Nelson competed in the World Cup Qualifiers. Mills then returned to the squad with Conant for the exhibition series against Montenegro.

Anderson was a member of the Youth National Team that helped the United States reach the title game at the World Aquatics Youth World Championship. The U.S. won silver in a historic run, marking the highest ever finish for Team USA at the event. Anderson was named the Best Player of the Tournament – the second consecutive year the award went to an incoming Trojan.

Ante Jerković (Croatia), Strahinja Krstić (Serbia) and Efe Naipoglu (Turkey) all competed at the U20 European Aquatics Championships to round out the slate. Jerkovic helped Croatia earn gold at the tournament. Krstić was named captain of the Serbian squad that placed sixth. Naipoglu racked up 33 goals in the tournament as was the top scorer of the event.