Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs release 2023 slate
11/30/2022 10:00:00 AM | Water Polo
FRESNO, Calif. - Coming off back-to-back Golden Coast Conference championships and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, the Fresno State water polo team turns its focus toward the 2023 season with the release of the schedule on Wednesday.
The Bulldogs get the season underway with the Bulldog Fest hosting Michigan (Jan. 21), UC Irvine (Jan. 21), Hawaii (Jan. 22) & Cal (Jan. 22) before heading out on the road for the Cal Cup (Jan. 28-29) in Berkeley and Triton Invite (Feb. 3-5) in San Diego.
The 'Dogs return back home to host the Fresno State Invite taking on Azusa Pacific (Feb. 17), Biola (Feb. 18), Fresno Pacific (Feb. 18) & Claremont Mudd-Scripps (Feb. 19).
The Golden Coast Conference slate gets underway on March 3 traveling to California Baptist and the 'Dogs will also travel to San Diego State (March 4), Pacific (March 25) and Santa Clara (April 22) for GCC matchups with home GCC contests against Concordia (March 11), Azusa Pacific (March 18) and Loyola Marymount (April 1).
One final non-conference game will feature a road tilt at San Jose State on March 26 with the postseason getting underway with the GCC Championships in San Diego on April 28-30 and the NCAA Tournament set for May 10-14.
Head Coach Natalie Benson on 2023 schedule
"We have a tough, challenging schedule. It has served us well up to this point and if we want to be a top team, we have to play against top teams consistently and compete with those guys so we know what the top level looks like. We have to hold ourselves to that standard and we are going to keep doing that type of thing. Being able to host the first tournament (Bulldog Fest) is going to be a lot of fun for us and bring a lot of great water polo to the Valley. Bringing in teams from out of state, a lot of top 10 teams, that should be a lot of fun, so definitely looking forward to that, good way to start the season off. We added a new tournament this year heading down to San Diego and that is a three-day tournament and an advancement tournament so that is exciting, win or lose, that determines your next match so that is neat to have the athletes experience something a little bit different. We are excited about the year and think we can have a good one."
A quick look at each of the 'Dogs 2023 opponents
Michigan
2022 Record: 26-9
CWPA Record: 12-0
Postseason Finish: L, 10-4 vs. Cal in NCAA Tournament First Round
UC Irvine
2022 Record: 22-7
Big West Record: 5-1
Postseason Finish: L, 8-7 vs. UCLA in NCAA Tournament First Round
Hawaii
2022 Record: 16-6
Big West Record: 6-0
Postseason Finish: L, 11-8 vs. UC Irvine in Big West Tournament
Cal
2022 Record: 17-6
MPSF Record: 3-3
Postseason Finish: L, 9-7 vs. USC in NCAA Tournament Second Round
Azusa Pacific
2022 Record: 9-16
Golden Coast Conference Record: 2-5
Postseason Finish: W, 13-12 vs. Santa Clara in GCC Tournament Fifth Place Game
Biola
2022 Record: 13-16
WWPA Record: 4-2
Postseason Finish: W, 14-7 vs. McKendree in WWPA Tournament Third Place Game
Fresno Pacific
2022 Record: 5-23
WWPA Record: 1-5
Postseason Finish: L, 8-7 vs. Monterey Bay in WWPA Tournament
Claremont Mudd-Scripps
2022 Record: 16-9
SCIAC Record: 12-2
Postseason Finish: L, 9-5 vs. Whittier in SCIAC Tournament
California Baptist
2022 Record: 13-17
Golden Coast Conference Record: 0-7
Postseason Finish: W, 13-10 vs. Concordia in GCC Tournament Seventh Place Game
San Diego State
2022 Record: 13-17
Golden Coast Conference Record: 4-3
Postseason Finish: L, 16-6 vs. Pacific in GCC Tournament Third Place Game
Concordia
2022 Record: 9-14
Golden Coast Conference Record: 2-5
Postseason Finish: L, 13-10 vs. California Baptist in GCC Tournament Seventh Place Game
Pacific
2022 Record: 14-11
Golden Coast Conference Record: 6-1
Postseason Finish: W, 16-6 vs. San Diego State in GCC Tournament Third Place Game
San Jose State
2022 Record: 11-16
MPSF Record: 0-6
Postseason Finish: L, 11-5 vs. Indiana in MPSF Tournament
Loyola Marymount
2022 Record: 16-12
GCC Record: 5-2
Postseason Finish: L, 11-8 vs. Fresno State in GCC Tournament Title Game
Santa Clara
2022 Record: 7-21
GCC Record: 2-5
Postseason Finish: L, 13-12 vs. Azusa Pacific in GCC Tournament Fifth Place Game
"Fresno State Athletics - For The V: The Central Valley" – Bulldog student-athletes, coaches, and staff proudly wear the "Green V" to show their pride in representing the Central Valley. Stories of why the Bulldogs play for the "Green V" will be shared throughout the next year with #ForTheV. To become a Bulldog Foundation member or join "The Green V Society," please visit bulldogfoundation.org.
Follow us on:
Twitter:Â @FresnoStateWP
Instagram:Â fresnostatewp
The Bulldogs get the season underway with the Bulldog Fest hosting Michigan (Jan. 21), UC Irvine (Jan. 21), Hawaii (Jan. 22) & Cal (Jan. 22) before heading out on the road for the Cal Cup (Jan. 28-29) in Berkeley and Triton Invite (Feb. 3-5) in San Diego.
The 'Dogs return back home to host the Fresno State Invite taking on Azusa Pacific (Feb. 17), Biola (Feb. 18), Fresno Pacific (Feb. 18) & Claremont Mudd-Scripps (Feb. 19).
The Golden Coast Conference slate gets underway on March 3 traveling to California Baptist and the 'Dogs will also travel to San Diego State (March 4), Pacific (March 25) and Santa Clara (April 22) for GCC matchups with home GCC contests against Concordia (March 11), Azusa Pacific (March 18) and Loyola Marymount (April 1).
One final non-conference game will feature a road tilt at San Jose State on March 26 with the postseason getting underway with the GCC Championships in San Diego on April 28-30 and the NCAA Tournament set for May 10-14.
Head Coach Natalie Benson on 2023 schedule
"We have a tough, challenging schedule. It has served us well up to this point and if we want to be a top team, we have to play against top teams consistently and compete with those guys so we know what the top level looks like. We have to hold ourselves to that standard and we are going to keep doing that type of thing. Being able to host the first tournament (Bulldog Fest) is going to be a lot of fun for us and bring a lot of great water polo to the Valley. Bringing in teams from out of state, a lot of top 10 teams, that should be a lot of fun, so definitely looking forward to that, good way to start the season off. We added a new tournament this year heading down to San Diego and that is a three-day tournament and an advancement tournament so that is exciting, win or lose, that determines your next match so that is neat to have the athletes experience something a little bit different. We are excited about the year and think we can have a good one."
A quick look at each of the 'Dogs 2023 opponents
Michigan
2022 Record: 26-9
CWPA Record: 12-0
Postseason Finish: L, 10-4 vs. Cal in NCAA Tournament First Round
UC Irvine
2022 Record: 22-7
Big West Record: 5-1
Postseason Finish: L, 8-7 vs. UCLA in NCAA Tournament First Round
Hawaii
2022 Record: 16-6
Big West Record: 6-0
Postseason Finish: L, 11-8 vs. UC Irvine in Big West Tournament
Cal
2022 Record: 17-6
MPSF Record: 3-3
Postseason Finish: L, 9-7 vs. USC in NCAA Tournament Second Round
Azusa Pacific
2022 Record: 9-16
Golden Coast Conference Record: 2-5
Postseason Finish: W, 13-12 vs. Santa Clara in GCC Tournament Fifth Place Game
Biola
2022 Record: 13-16
WWPA Record: 4-2
Postseason Finish: W, 14-7 vs. McKendree in WWPA Tournament Third Place Game
Fresno Pacific
2022 Record: 5-23
WWPA Record: 1-5
Postseason Finish: L, 8-7 vs. Monterey Bay in WWPA Tournament
Claremont Mudd-Scripps
2022 Record: 16-9
SCIAC Record: 12-2
Postseason Finish: L, 9-5 vs. Whittier in SCIAC Tournament
California Baptist
2022 Record: 13-17
Golden Coast Conference Record: 0-7
Postseason Finish: W, 13-10 vs. Concordia in GCC Tournament Seventh Place Game
San Diego State
2022 Record: 13-17
Golden Coast Conference Record: 4-3
Postseason Finish: L, 16-6 vs. Pacific in GCC Tournament Third Place Game
Concordia
2022 Record: 9-14
Golden Coast Conference Record: 2-5
Postseason Finish: L, 13-10 vs. California Baptist in GCC Tournament Seventh Place Game
Pacific
2022 Record: 14-11
Golden Coast Conference Record: 6-1
Postseason Finish: W, 16-6 vs. San Diego State in GCC Tournament Third Place Game
San Jose State
2022 Record: 11-16
MPSF Record: 0-6
Postseason Finish: L, 11-5 vs. Indiana in MPSF Tournament
Loyola Marymount
2022 Record: 16-12
GCC Record: 5-2
Postseason Finish: L, 11-8 vs. Fresno State in GCC Tournament Title Game
Santa Clara
2022 Record: 7-21
GCC Record: 2-5
Postseason Finish: L, 13-12 vs. Azusa Pacific in GCC Tournament Fifth Place Game
"Fresno State Athletics - For The V: The Central Valley" – Bulldog student-athletes, coaches, and staff proudly wear the "Green V" to show their pride in representing the Central Valley. Stories of why the Bulldogs play for the "Green V" will be shared throughout the next year with #ForTheV. To become a Bulldog Foundation member or join "The Green V Society," please visit bulldogfoundation.org.
Follow us on:
Twitter:Â @FresnoStateWP
Instagram:Â fresnostatewp
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