Freshman class elevates Fresno State Water Polo

FRESNO, Calif. - After back-to-back years of crowning a new all-time leading scorer, the Fresno State water polo program looks ahead to a future with young leaders within. That has already proven true this season as a trio of true freshmen has led the Bulldogs to a successful season, learning fast what it takes to play at the collegiate level, and under head coach Natalie Benson.

For Benson, she knew the talent in the Bulldogs' 2025 class was there. A class of six freshmen and one transfer, each of them contributed immediately.

In a preseason interview, Benson was asked about the newcomers for the year ahead, and she praised them then by saying, "You never know what they can do until they get here, and they are doing the things you want them to do with the people they're going to be doing it with. So, you integrate them into the group and see how they adapt. I am really excited about this class. We have a strong group of freshmen out here who have done an exceptional job for us. I am excited for this class and excited for the future as well."

Fast forward to championship week, and three true freshmen earned All-Golden Coast Conference honors, including two on the first team. Fresno State had a freshman on the first team all-conference team for the first time since 2022, and just the second time in program history, and in 2026, it had two.

Riaan Bryant, Charley Stephens and Katelyn Mobley made the collegiate transition seem seamless.

"I think our freshman class is amazing," said Mobley. "I think that we really have grown well together, especially coming in from so many different places. We have a girl from Israel, a girl from Russia, a girl from New Zealand, a girl from Australia, and two of us from the States. Together, we have meshed really well considering our different backgrounds and styles of water polo. We are so close and tight together. I love it so much."

The path to Fresno State was different for each of them. With Mobley being the closest as a Carlsbad, Calif. native, her background was different from the others on the international level. Mobley was familiar with Fresno State through Bulldog alum Brooke Ochoa, who prepped on the same club team as Mobley. At the club level, she began training with the men's team to gain stronger goalkeeper experience and prepare her for the next level.

For Bryant and Stephens, the pair had international experience in their respective countries. Bryant, who played for the New Zealand national team, came to Fresno State already with a high-level of water polo experience.

"I have been fortunate enough to play for my national program, so I went to the Under 18 Worlds and Under 20 Worlds before coming here," added Bryant. "That was a cool international experience that I had before coming here. In America, there is a different style of play than at home. Playing all of the other international teams at worlds has prepared me for that."

Stephens is a native of Australia. She also had a background on the international competition stage as well.

"I am lucky enough to have been to two world championships, the Under 18s and Under 20s for Australia," said Stephens on her international experience. "Those are amazing opportunities, and I am so grateful I got to do that. I think it prepared me really well to come here and to play in the college environment. Coming from Australia, we have really stepped up our water polo game as well. Our Olympic team just took second at the Paris Olympics, which has been awesome for the Australian program. It is great to come over to college with such a great program. There are so many opportunities for a college athlete, especially here at Fresno State."

Bryant and Stephens are two of the team's sharpest shooters this season. Bryant is second on the Bulldogs' roster with 42 goals, behind only senior veteran Hailey Andress. Showcasing her adaptability on offense, she also adds 22 assists, tying for the team high. Stephens is the team's third-leading scorer, right behind Bryant with 39 goals and 22 assists on the year.

Fresno State has not had two true freshmen record this many combined goals in a season in program history. Understanding that the program is still in its early stages and developing into a premier collegiate water polo program, it was an easy decision for the two of them to choose Fresno State as their next step.

"Natalie [Benson] is an amazing coach, so that was very attractive for the program," said Bryant on her decision to come to Fresno State. "She has a good relationship with my national coach, so I knew that coming here, I would remain seen by my national program and still be able to have a foot in both. That was a bit unique. Not even being here, I could tell the team culture was really tight. Being on the phone with Natalie, I could tell that it was really cool here, being in the Valley and having the Red Wave. There were a lot of positives, and I couldn't find a lot of negatives."

The culture that Benson and her staff have established has created a safe space for freshmen and international student-athletes to be comfortable with the transition to college and to America. The team prides itself on its team culture and creating an environment that is team-first. That has translated into the program's growth, creating a winning culture around the young program.

"Coming into the team, it is very much a winning mentality," said Stephens. "Winning is expected. That is what has pushed the whole team to do well in the past and why we continue to do well."

Mobley has been a large part of that success in the pool this season, recording 188 saves in the cage as the starting goalkeeper. She has racked up the fifth-most saves in a single season in program history. When it comes to career numbers, she already ranks fourth all-time. After earning first-team honors earlier this week, Mobley is only the second Bulldog goalkeeper to earn first-team honors, as she joins the program's all-time saves leader, Paula Nieto Jasny.

Bryant, Stephens and Mobley are joined by their classmates Noa Markovsky, Katya Aleshina and Charli Munoz who have all contributed in one way or another this season.

The Bulldogs have gone through the season while figuring out how this 2026 squad works and what it excels in. As with any team, there will be growing pains. Instead of forcing the individual athletes to fit the plan, the Bulldogs fit the plan to the athletes' strengths. This, in turn, allows them to excel at what they are each good at, contributing to collective growth.

It seems as if things are clicking for Fresno State at the right time as it hosts the Golden Coast Conference Championship this weekend (April 10-12) at the Aquatics Center. The Bulldogs have a first-round bye and will play on Saturday afternoon. For bracket information, visit here. Tickets are available for daily purchase here.

Fresno State Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Katya Aleshina

Hailey Andress

Riaan Bryant

Noa Markovsky

Katelyn Mobley

Brooke Ochoa

Charley Stephens

Freshman class elevates Fresno State Water Polo

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