Defending NCAA champion UCLA has been ranked first in the 2025 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Men’s Water Polo Western Division preseason coaches’ poll. The Bruins received 99 points and nine first-place votes. UCLA returns 21 players from last season, including Ryder Dodd, who was named ACWPC National Player of the Year and MPSF Player and Newcomer of the Year after setting a new single-season scoring record with 102 goals in 2024. Other returning All-Americans for UCLA are Chase Dodd, Peter Castillo, and Frederico Jucá Carsalade.
USC is ranked second in the west division with 91 points and two first-place votes. The Trojans return All-Americans Robert López Duart and Bernardo Herzer, as well as Stefan Brankovic. USC also added Mihailo Vukazic, a 2024 first team All-American and WCC Player of the Year from Pacific.
Stanford is third in the west with 82 points, followed by California with 74 points. Stanford brings back All-American goalkeeper West Temkin and center Will Schneider. California returns Albert Ponferrada and Bende Pardi, both All-Americans.
In the eastern division, Augustana leads with 62 points. The Vikings have won their division each year since joining the conference three years ago. Key returning players include goalkeeper Declan Hutton, Oskar Bannister, Stevan Rasic—who was named MPSF Player of the Year in 2024—and Mark Addison.
Austin College is picked second in the east with 50 points, led by All-American Aidan Wade. Johns Hopkins ranks third (46), followed by Penn State Behrend (36). Returning for Johns Hopkins are Andrew Lee and Phillip Long; Penn State Behrend brings back Nick Thompson and Atticus Bowman.
Connecticut College enters its first MPSF season ranked fifth (26), just ahead of Washington & Jefferson (25). Wheaton College rounds out the east at seventh (14). Connecticut College features Jesse Ellis; Washington & Jefferson returns Aidan Miller and Timothy Deutsch; Wheaton’s squad includes Spyros Rapsomanikis.
The MPSF’s men’s water polo season begins on August 29 when UCLA faces Navy at Brian Bent Memorial Aquatics Complex in Coronado, California. Stanford will host both the MPSF Championship Tournament from November 21-23—which will determine western and eastern division champions—and later host the NCAA Tournament two weeks after that event. Since its founding in 1992, teams from the MPSF have won every NCAA Men’s Water Polo Championship to date.
“The Bruins return 21 players from last year, including ACWPC National Player of the Year and MPSF Player and Newcomer of the Year Ryder Dodd, who broke both the school and conference single-season scoring record in 2024 with 102 goals,” according to UCLA Athletics.
