Fresno State Athletics
Players Mentioned
Attacker
/ Water Polo
Utility
/ Water Polo
Goalkeeper
/ Water Polo
Defender
/ Water Polo
Attacker
/ Water Polo
Photo by: Aimee Sabado
'Dogs repeat as preseason favorites
1/9/2026 9:00:00 AM | Water Polo
FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno State water polo team was selected as the preseason favorites in the Golden Coast Conference for 2026, announced by the conference office on Friday morning and voted on by the league's head coaches.
Â
The Bulldogs have won four of the last five Golden Coast Conference tournament titles (2021-24), falling last season to host LMU. This season, Fresno State plays host of the championship tournament that is set for April 10-12 at the Aquatics Center.
Â
Fresno State returns three-time All-American Hailey Andress for her senior season. Andress has earned back-to-back first team All-GCC honors, and has 191 career goals to her name. Andress is just 26 goals shy of the program's all-time scoring record which was set by Brooke Ochoa just last spring.
Â
The Bulldogs also return Ida Tully-Giles, Ashley Williams and Marit van der Kolk as all-conference selections from a season ago.
Â
The 2026 Fresno State water polo season gets started one week from today with the annual Polopalooza at the Aquatics Center. Some of the nation's top talent are set to compete at the event, including Hawai'i and Cal who finished the 2025 season in the Top 5 nationally. Fresno State will face Michigan in its season opener on Friday at 6:30 p.m. PT. For more information on the Polopalooza, and the full tournament schedule, please visit the tournament central here.
Â
2026 Preseason Coaches' Poll:
1. Fresno State - 35 points (5 first place votes)
2. Loyola Marymount - 31 points (2)
3. Pacific - 26 points
4. San Diego State - 21 points
5. California Baptist - 17 points
6. Azusa Pacific - 9 points
7. Santa Clara - 8 points
Â
About the GCC
The 2026 campaign will be the 13th season for the Golden Coast Conference and will feature seven institutions competing within the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Following the 2016 season, the women's division earned an automatic bid to the National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championships, with the winner of the annual league tournament representing the GCC. In 2025, LMU knocked off four-time GCC champion Fresno State, who won the tournament in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. It was the Lions' third tournament title.
Â
Heading into the 2026 campaign, Concordia left the GCC to joing the Western Water Polo Association. The league's seven members in 2026 are Azusa Pacific, California Baptist, Fresno State, Loyola Marymount, Pacific, San Diego State, and Santa Clara. This is the last season for the Lancers in the GCC, who will join the Big West in 2026-27. In that 2026-27 season, the GCC will consist of nine teams with Saint Mary's College, San Jose State and UC Davis joining the league.
Â
Â
The Bulldogs have won four of the last five Golden Coast Conference tournament titles (2021-24), falling last season to host LMU. This season, Fresno State plays host of the championship tournament that is set for April 10-12 at the Aquatics Center.
Â
Fresno State returns three-time All-American Hailey Andress for her senior season. Andress has earned back-to-back first team All-GCC honors, and has 191 career goals to her name. Andress is just 26 goals shy of the program's all-time scoring record which was set by Brooke Ochoa just last spring.
Â
The Bulldogs also return Ida Tully-Giles, Ashley Williams and Marit van der Kolk as all-conference selections from a season ago.
Â
The 2026 Fresno State water polo season gets started one week from today with the annual Polopalooza at the Aquatics Center. Some of the nation's top talent are set to compete at the event, including Hawai'i and Cal who finished the 2025 season in the Top 5 nationally. Fresno State will face Michigan in its season opener on Friday at 6:30 p.m. PT. For more information on the Polopalooza, and the full tournament schedule, please visit the tournament central here.
Â
2026 Preseason Coaches' Poll:
1. Fresno State - 35 points (5 first place votes)
2. Loyola Marymount - 31 points (2)
3. Pacific - 26 points
4. San Diego State - 21 points
5. California Baptist - 17 points
6. Azusa Pacific - 9 points
7. Santa Clara - 8 points
Â
About the GCC
The 2026 campaign will be the 13th season for the Golden Coast Conference and will feature seven institutions competing within the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Following the 2016 season, the women's division earned an automatic bid to the National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championships, with the winner of the annual league tournament representing the GCC. In 2025, LMU knocked off four-time GCC champion Fresno State, who won the tournament in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. It was the Lions' third tournament title.
Â
Heading into the 2026 campaign, Concordia left the GCC to joing the Western Water Polo Association. The league's seven members in 2026 are Azusa Pacific, California Baptist, Fresno State, Loyola Marymount, Pacific, San Diego State, and Santa Clara. This is the last season for the Lancers in the GCC, who will join the Big West in 2026-27. In that 2026-27 season, the GCC will consist of nine teams with Saint Mary's College, San Jose State and UC Davis joining the league.
Â
Water Polo 2025 Bass Lake team retreat vlog
Tuesday, October 28
WP: GCC Championship Quarterfinal vs CUI [4.25.25]
Saturday, April 26
WP highlight vs CUI [2.22.25]
Saturday, February 22
WP highlight vs Redlands [2.15.25]
Tuesday, February 18