Hailey Andress leaves lasting legacy at Fresno State

FRESNO, Calif. - It is the end of an era.

The 2026 Fresno State water polo season didn't end the way anyone wanted it to. Fresno State fell in the GCC Championship Game to LMU, ending the season in the Bulldogs' home pool back in April.

For one Bulldog senior, the loss hurts but there is still so much to reflect back on and be proud of. The collegiate career of Fresno State's all-time leading scorer Hailey Andress has come to a close, and her next chapter awaits.

Andress came into the program in 2023, a season of growth for the young program that began in 2018.

At the time, head coach Natalie Benson was recruiting players who were excited for the chance to build a program and put Fresno State on the map in the collegiate water polo world. Benson found the athletes who liked to compete, and came in hungry to make history. Andress was one of those.

"I loved the idea of coming to a newer program and being able to earn respect, and not just be disregarded," said Andress. "When we show up on a pool deck, you should be scared. We have earned every ounce of respect. Everyone knows us for our grit. You can see it in the water. You can see it on the outside."

"I feel like I earned my spot on this team. We earned everything that we are known for. And I am a part of that."

Andress came from a family of water polo players, so the game was never unfamiliar to her. Although familiar, it wasn't an immediate love. Her father, John, kept her in the training as she learned to love the game at a young age. Andress went on to have a good high school career, becoming the all-time leading scorer at Glendora High School.

She committed early to being a Bulldog, making the verbal commitment during the summer before her senior year.

"In my recruiting, Natalie [Benson] made it well-known that she wanted to develop each player individually," said Andress. "I think coming here, I knew she would develop me into the player I am today. Some schools, people get overlooked and pushed aside but she really focuses on everyone on the team and growing a deep team and a culture that we are all part of. It has helped me grow, not only in the water but as a person as well."

In her freshman season, Andress appeared in all 27 games that season. She earned ACWPC All-America honorable mention honors along the way, and secured the title of GCC Newcomer of the Year with a second team All-GCC selection. She was second on the team with 52 goals that season. Andress was also named Fresno State Athletics' Female Newcomer of the Year that year.

The next season went even better than the first. Andress earned second team All-America honors and was a first team All-GCC pick. She was Fresno State's leading scorer with 74 goals, setting the program's single season record for goals scored. In her 45th career game, she became the fastest player in Bulldog water polo history to score 100 career goals.

Andress helped Fresno State to Golden Coast Conference titles in 2023 and 2024.

After two years on top of the mountain, Andress found herself battling a fight against confidence.

"Junior year was hard for me," said Andress. "I struggled with water polo. I struggled with my mentality and the pressure I put on myself. I had a really good sophomore season, so coming in my junior year was difficult."

Andress battled what many athletes do, at every level. She felt humbled by the game, and felt alone through the fight.

"I didn't want to ask for help for a while. I think it was something that I thought I had to get through, and a mountain I had to climb on my own."

Benson, who was an all-star collegiate player at UCLA and a member of two Olympic water polo teams with Team USA, understands the importance of mental health for athletes. The Bulldog head coach has connections on campus, and implements practices in her program that focus on the mental aspect of the game. The trust that Benson built within the program allowed Andress to open up to her head coach and ask for help.

"I am very grateful I had Natalie [Benson]. She set me up with a sports psychologist here at the school. I was able to meet with her twice a week. I was able to get out of that slump and wake up with a 'screw it' mentality everyday."

Andress realized she just needed to tackle each day as they came. She trusted in her support system to get her out of that slump, and get back to being herself. She finished that season with another All-American accolade and first team All-GCC selection, scoring 65 goals in 2025.

As her senior year approached, and the program's all-time leading scorer Brooke Ochoa graduated and on to her professional career, Andress was the hot hand on the team. She entered the season with 191 career goals – sitting third in the record book.

She had a different demeanor to her this year. She was calm and confident. You would never know she was as talented as she was if you weren't familiar with her career. She carries herself in a way that her younger teammates look up to, but she never made herself look or feel "too good" to be at Fresno State. That is the culture at Fresno State.

"My motivation definitely comes from my teammates," said Andress. "Everyday, they push themselves in the pool and it makes me want to push myself. Natalie [Benson] and the coaching staff really make me want to be a better player every day. Doing it with the people I do it with is what makes it worth it."

During her senior season in 2026, Andress became the program's all-time leading scorer. She added 66 more goals to her tally, ending her career with 257 to her name – 40 more than Ochoa had. She earned her third-consecutive first team All-GCC honor. Andress also earned honorable mention All-America honors to cap her career.

The native of Glendora leaves her Fresno State career as a four-time All-Golden Coast Conference selection and a four-time All-American. She is the only player in program history to earn four All-American honors in their career.

Andress graduated from Fresno State this spring with her degree in mass communication and journalism with an emphasis in advertisement and public relations. The journey isn't over for Andress as the possibilities for a professional career are not far out of reach.

As somebody who came into the program looking to make a splash, Andress did that and more.

Fresno State Athletics

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