No. 4 Cal Opens Season At FSU Polo-Palooza

WPOLO1/16/2025 11:30 AM | By: Cal Athletics

Bears To Face 4 Top-20 Teams

AT FRESNO STATE AQUATICS CENTER | FRESNO, CALIF.

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FRIDAY, JAN. 17

NO. 4 CAL VS NO. 18 SAN JOSE STATE  | 6:20 PM PT

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SATURDAY, JAN. 18

NO. 4 CAL AT NO. 9 FRESNO STATE | 12:10 PM PT

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NO. 4 CAL VS NO. 12 UC SAN DIEGO | 4:10 PM PT

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The reigning national runner up California women’s water polo team is set to kick off the 2025 season this weekend at the Fresno State Polo-Palooza. This will be the third straight year the Golden Bears begin their season at the Fresno Aquatics Center. Just as it did last year, Cal will face three top-18 opponents and end the weekend with an exhibition with No. 5 Hawai’i at 10:20 a.m. PT on Sunday in a rematch of last year’s NCAA Championship semifinal.

 

BEAR NECESSITIES

 

2024 RECAP

Boasting the nation’s best defense throughout the year, Cal finished as the runner-up in both the NCAA and MPSF Championships, advancing to the NCAA Championship final for the second time in program history. The Bears posted their second straight 19-win season, going 19-7 (.731), good for their highest win percentage since 2018. At the heart of their success was the play of graduated senior goalkeeper Isabel Williams, who set the team’s all-time career saves record on her way to becoming the first Bear in program history to win the prestigious Peter J. Cutino Award, given to the top player in the NCAA.

NET FINDERS

Although the Bears also graduated their top scorer from last year, Maryn Dempsey – who is currently scoring goals for Team USA in the group stage of the 2025 World Cup – the team returns a bulk of its offensive contributors. Senior Elena Flynn finished second on the team with 44 goals in a dazzling debut season after transferring from UC Irvine, resulting in a third consecutive All-America selection. Sophomore Feline Voordouw poured in 31 goals in a standout freshman campaign.

The season-opening tournament also marks the return of two-time All-American Ruby Swadling, who missed the 2024 season to train for the Australia National Team.

PAN-AM GOLD

Sophomore Julia Bonaguidi – another standout from Cal’s 2024 freshman class – competed alongside current freshman Rosalie Hassett for Team USA in the 2024 Pan-American Championships in November, putting away seven and six goals, respectively, on their way to an 18-5 win over Argentina in the final. They became the first Bears to win gold at the tournament since current Cal assistant coach Heather Petri and Elsie Windes in 2011.

HALL OF FAME COACHING STAFF

Cal head coach Coralie Simmons and associate head coach Heather Petri are among the most decorated figures in the sport. Simmons – one of the great trailblazers of the women’s water polo world who earned two NCAA Player of the Year awards while competing for UCLA, won three NCAA Championships and an Olympic silver medal with Team USA – was one of five members in the 39th induction class of the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame in 2023. Her 131 wins at Cal rank second in program history. Last May, she became the first female head coach in NCAA history to reach the NCAA championship game. Petri – the only four-time female Olympian in Cal history – was named to the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2023. Joining them on the staff for the fourth straight year is assistant coach Lance Morrison, who played Division I water polo at Pacific.

STAY POSTED

For further coverage of Cal women’s water polo, follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalWWPolo), Instagram (@calwwpolo) and Facebook (CalWomensWaterPolo).