Photo by: Kris Olsen
Looking Back on Men's Water Polo's Historic Run - A Season in Review
4/14/2021 2:00:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
RIVERSIDE – While the 2021 men's water polo season was unique and challenging, it's one that will never be forgotten at California Baptist University.
The Lancers put together a banner season, as they won their first-ever Western Water Polo Association Championship and became the first team in school history to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
It was a tough road to all that history, as the water polo season was pushed back from the fall of 2020 to the winter of 2021. The Lancers endured several temporary shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including one the week before the WWPA Championships.
CBU wasn't interested in any excuses, though. The Lancers put together a 7-5 overall record by winning three of their final four games. There were a number of program and school firsts along the way. CBU defeated a single-season record six top-10 teams and reached its highest-ever NCAA ranking at sixth overall, which is where it finished.
"Nobody could have foreseen what this season was going to be like; it was definitely a roller coaster," said Coach Kevin Rosa, who was named the WWPA Coach of the Year for the second season in a row. "I am proud of my team in how they approached every day. It didn't matter the circumstances, we got in the pool every day that we could, and we competed every day and tried to improve every day. The team's focus and desire to be successful was really the driving force behind our success. Although it was short, it was a fun season, and we are looking forward to next year."
A LOOK AT THE POSTSEASON
A number of men's water polo teams opted out of the 2021 spring season. The WWPA shrank from eight teams to three: CBU, Loyola Marymount and Air Force. The Lancers entered the conference tournament as the third seed and won their first-ever conference title with wins over second-seeded Loyola Marymount (10-6) and top-seeded Air Force (11-9).
It earned CBU's first-ever NCAA Championship appearance, and the Lancers got a tough draw in third-ranked UCLA in the first round. CBU held its own against the Bruins, who went on to win their 12th NCAA title in men's water polo.
The Lancers scored 14 goals on the defensive-minded Bruins, who came into the game giving up just over 10 goals a game. CBU kept the game close before falling to UCLA, 19-14, at USC's Uytengsu Aquatics Center. It was the most goals CBU has ever scored against UCLA, and was the third most goals the Bruins allowed in a game all year.
SENIOR LEADERS
All year long, the Lancers have been led by their senior trio of PJ McDonough, Gabe Thorne and Zach Lowery. Those three earned All-WWPA First-Team honors, with Thorne also taking the Player of the Year award, to mark the first season CBU had three players earn first-team all-conference awards.
Thorne put together a strong performance in the cage in his final college season. He won six of the Lancers' seven games and posted a 51.8 save percentage, with 115 saves and 14 steals. He graduates ranking fourth in program history with 837 career saves and second with 46 games with 10 or more saves.
McDonough led the Lancers with 36 goals and added nine assists for 45 points, which ranked second on the team this year. He earned two WWPA Player of the Week awards, with his first coming after a seven-goal game at Air Force, which tied for the fourth-most goals in a game in CBU history. The season brought McDonough's career numbers to 120 career goals and 34 multi-goal games, which both rank seventh in CBU's NCAA era (2013-present).
Lowery owned team-highs in points (47), assists (24), steals (27), sprint wins (16), sprint win percentage (80) and also ranked second in goals (23). He moved up to third in CBU history with 147 career assists, eighth in career steals (121) and 20th in career goals (121). His 43 games with a goal, assist and steal are the second most in CBU history. He also ranks third in multi-assist (45) and fifth in multi-steal games (33).
LOOKING AHEAD
There's plenty of reason for high hopes for the Lancers the rest of the way. Thorne is the lone graduating senior, as McDonough and Lowery will take advantage of the extra season of eligibility offered by the NCAA.
Juniors Hunter Barnett and Riley Bumgardner will give CBU more veteran leadership after they put together big seasons for the Lancers, while junior two-meter Jacob Olsen could return, as well, after missing this season with an injury. Several underclassmen: freshmen Cameron Cullen, Caleb Teraoka and Matt Olsen and sophomores Angel Sanchez and Joseph Griffin will also look to continue their impressive 2021 seasons.
The Lancers put together a banner season, as they won their first-ever Western Water Polo Association Championship and became the first team in school history to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
History in the making#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/TfgohAcjhc
— California Baptist Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) March 18, 2021
It was a tough road to all that history, as the water polo season was pushed back from the fall of 2020 to the winter of 2021. The Lancers endured several temporary shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including one the week before the WWPA Championships.
CBU wasn't interested in any excuses, though. The Lancers put together a 7-5 overall record by winning three of their final four games. There were a number of program and school firsts along the way. CBU defeated a single-season record six top-10 teams and reached its highest-ever NCAA ranking at sixth overall, which is where it finished.
"Nobody could have foreseen what this season was going to be like; it was definitely a roller coaster," said Coach Kevin Rosa, who was named the WWPA Coach of the Year for the second season in a row. "I am proud of my team in how they approached every day. It didn't matter the circumstances, we got in the pool every day that we could, and we competed every day and tried to improve every day. The team's focus and desire to be successful was really the driving force behind our success. Although it was short, it was a fun season, and we are looking forward to next year."
🏆 COACH OF THE YEAR 🏆
— California Baptist Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) March 7, 2021
Congratulations to Kevin Rosa on being named @TheWWPA's 2021 Coach of the Year for the second year in a row! #LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/qsJiHA1aaB
A LOOK AT THE POSTSEASON
A number of men's water polo teams opted out of the 2021 spring season. The WWPA shrank from eight teams to three: CBU, Loyola Marymount and Air Force. The Lancers entered the conference tournament as the third seed and won their first-ever conference title with wins over second-seeded Loyola Marymount (10-6) and top-seeded Air Force (11-9).
🎉🥳🎊
— California Baptist Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) March 6, 2021
It's that moment you've always dreamed of.#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/6Wfy0G21k4
It earned CBU's first-ever NCAA Championship appearance, and the Lancers got a tough draw in third-ranked UCLA in the first round. CBU held its own against the Bruins, who went on to win their 12th NCAA title in men's water polo.
The Lancers scored 14 goals on the defensive-minded Bruins, who came into the game giving up just over 10 goals a game. CBU kept the game close before falling to UCLA, 19-14, at USC's Uytengsu Aquatics Center. It was the most goals CBU has ever scored against UCLA, and was the third most goals the Bruins allowed in a game all year.
SENIOR LEADERS
All year long, the Lancers have been led by their senior trio of PJ McDonough, Gabe Thorne and Zach Lowery. Those three earned All-WWPA First-Team honors, with Thorne also taking the Player of the Year award, to mark the first season CBU had three players earn first-team all-conference awards.
🏆 PLAYER OF THE YEAR 🏆
— California Baptist Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) March 7, 2021
Gabe Thorne is @TheWWPA's 2021 Player of the Year❗️ The senior goalie led the conference in saves (103), save percentage (52.6), GAA (10.50) and ranked sixth in steals (11) this season.#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/i9StnrWQQ1
Thorne put together a strong performance in the cage in his final college season. He won six of the Lancers' seven games and posted a 51.8 save percentage, with 115 saves and 14 steals. He graduates ranking fourth in program history with 837 career saves and second with 46 games with 10 or more saves.
McDonough led the Lancers with 36 goals and added nine assists for 45 points, which ranked second on the team this year. He earned two WWPA Player of the Week awards, with his first coming after a seven-goal game at Air Force, which tied for the fourth-most goals in a game in CBU history. The season brought McDonough's career numbers to 120 career goals and 34 multi-goal games, which both rank seventh in CBU's NCAA era (2013-present).
PJ McDonough is a man possessed 🔥
— California Baptist Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) February 14, 2021
He becomes just the third Lancer to record seven goals in a game in the NCAA era and against a Division I opponent. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/7SbKcUMd1M
Lowery owned team-highs in points (47), assists (24), steals (27), sprint wins (16), sprint win percentage (80) and also ranked second in goals (23). He moved up to third in CBU history with 147 career assists, eighth in career steals (121) and 20th in career goals (121). His 43 games with a goal, assist and steal are the second most in CBU history. He also ranks third in multi-assist (45) and fifth in multi-steal games (33).
LOOKING AHEAD
There's plenty of reason for high hopes for the Lancers the rest of the way. Thorne is the lone graduating senior, as McDonough and Lowery will take advantage of the extra season of eligibility offered by the NCAA.
Juniors Hunter Barnett and Riley Bumgardner will give CBU more veteran leadership after they put together big seasons for the Lancers, while junior two-meter Jacob Olsen could return, as well, after missing this season with an injury. Several underclassmen: freshmen Cameron Cullen, Caleb Teraoka and Matt Olsen and sophomores Angel Sanchez and Joseph Griffin will also look to continue their impressive 2021 seasons.
Players Mentioned
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2M
/ Men's Water Polo
ATT
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2MD
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2M
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2M
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ATT
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