#GCCWATERPOLO — The 2026 Golden Coast Conference Championship begins Friday in Fresno, marking the second time Fresno State has hosted the event (2019).
Top-seeded and No. 8-ranked Loyola Marymount enters as the three-time defending regular-season champion after going unbeaten in GCC play for the third consecutive year. The Lions carry a 22-game conference winning streak into the tournament and are 21-4 overall (6-0 GCC). LMU receives a bye into Saturday’s semifinals.
No. 2 seed and No. 13-ranked Fresno State (14-9, 5-1 GCC) also earns a semifinal bye. The Bulldogs, led by three first-team All-GCC selections, are seeking a sixth consecutive appearance in the championship game. Fresno State and LMU have met in three of the past four GCC title games.
Friday’s opening round begins with No. 3 seed and No. 16-ranked San Diego State (17-9, 4-2 GCC) facing No. 6 seed Azusa Pacific (17-11, 1-5 GCC) at noon. No. 4 seed and No. 20-ranked California Baptist (13-10, 3-3 GCC) follows against No. 5 seed and No. 21-ranked Pacific (10-9, 2-4 GCC) at 2 p.m.
San Diego State earned its highest seed since 2021, when it advanced to the championship game. The Aztecs defeated Azusa Pacific 19-6 on March 5 behind four goals from GCC Player of the Year Mimi Stoupas and five from Sydney Gish. APU goalkeeper Daniela Herrero Miralles recorded 10 saves in the matchup.
California Baptist secured its highest seed since 2016 and is led by GCC Newcomer of the Year Emmie Ramirez, who led the conference with 121 points. Teammate Niya Bumbaca ranked second in the league in scoring. The Lancers clinched the No. 4 seed in part with a 13-11 win at Pacific on March 22, their first victory over the Tigers since 2014. In that game, Pacific’s Eleni Ikonomou scored four goals, while Laia Marsinach Ortega added two.
The Championships continue on Saturday with the fifth place game at 10 am, followed by the semifinals. The winner of game one will face No. 2 Fresno State at noon, followed by the second semifinal featuring No. 1 LMU and the winner of game two at 2 pm. The tournament concludes on Sunday with the third place game at 11 am and the title match at 1 pm.
THE GCC CHAMPIONSHIP
The
2026 GCC Championship will run from April 10-12 at Fresno State. Tickets are on sale now. Once games begin, tickets
will also be available for purchase on site at the Fresno State Aquatics Center.
Daily ticket pricing is:
- $23 for General Admission
LIVE STREAMING
All seven (7) games of the GCC Championship will be streamed live on the internet by GCC partner Overnght Media Group. This is the third season that Overnght will be the official streaming partner of the GCC Championship. Links to all games of the championship will be posted on the Tournament Central page. This service will require a subscription fee for viewers to watch the games for a monthly fee of $11.99 ($8.75 per month with an annual commitment). Viewers can cancel their subscription at any time. For other specific questions about Overnght and their services, please visit their website at www.overnght.com. They can also be reached via email at support@overnght.com.
2026 REGULAR SEASON
Postseason Honors
The 2026 Golden Coast Conference postseason honors showcased both standout veterans and a surge of emerging talent, highlighted by San Diego State’s
Mimi Stoupas earning Player of the Year after leading the league in goals, and California Baptist’s
Emmie Ramirez taking Newcomer of the Year following a record-setting debut season. The all-conference first team blended experienced leaders with rising stars, including repeat honorees
Hailey Andress and
Claudia Valdes alongside freshmen
Riaan Bryant and
Katelyn Mobley, marking the first time since 2022 that first-year players earned top-team recognition. In total, a conference-record seven freshmen were honored across all teams, underscoring a significant youth movement, while three-time champion Loyola Marymount continued its dominance with multiple selections, including first-team All-GCC selection
Anna Tarantino, as part of the 28 student-athletes recognized overall.
Check out all the award winners >>
2026 Player of the Week Honorees
Each week of the season the GCC honored the top performers, here is who took home the award each week of the 2026 season:
Apr. 2 – Katelyn Mobley, Fresno State
Mar. 26 – Emmie Ramirez, California Baptist
Mar. 19 – Mimi Stoupas, San Diego State
Mar. 12 – Laia Marsinach Ortega, Pacific
Mar. 5 – Emison Styris, LMU
Feb. 26 – Noa Sasover, LMU
Feb. 19 – Claudia Valdes, San Diego State
Feb. 12 – Emmie Ramirez, California Baptist
Feb. 5 – Anna Tarantino, LMU
Jan. 29 – Katelyn Mobley, Fresno State
Jan. 22 – Mimi Stoupas, San Diego State
2026 GCC Stat Leaders
Enter the 2026 GCC Championship, here are the stat leaders. Visit the
GCC Stats Page for full stats on all teams.
Goals
| ## |
Name |
Team |
G |
| 1. |
Mimi Stoupas |
SDSU |
74 |
| 2. |
Emmie Ramirez |
CBU |
70 |
| 3. |
Jessie Nelson |
APU |
69 |
| 4. |
Hailey Andress |
FS |
62 |
| 5. |
Bailey Hollick |
APU |
61 |
Assists
| ## |
Name |
Team |
G |
| 1. |
Sophia DeMattia |
LMU |
62 |
| 2. |
Niya Bumbaca |
CBU |
61 |
| 3. |
Claudia Valdes |
SDSU |
60 |
| 4. |
Ioanna Petiki |
SDSU |
58 |
| 5. |
Emmie Ramirez |
CBU |
51 |
Points
| ## |
Name |
Team |
G |
| 1. |
Emmie Ramirez |
CBU |
121 |
| 2. |
Claudia Valdes |
SDSU |
107 |
| 3. |
Niya Bumbaca |
CBU |
105 |
| 4. |
Sydney Gish |
SDSU |
89 |
| 5. |
Sophia DeMattia |
LMU |
84 |
Field Blocks
| ## |
Name |
Team |
G |
| 1. |
Anna Tarantino |
LMU |
39 |
| 2. |
Emison Styris |
LMU |
20 |
| 3. |
Sydney Maccabe |
SCU |
17 |
| 4. |
Devyn Ruffer |
CBU |
16 |
| 5. |
Lucy Bullock |
SDSU |
12 |
Steals
| ## |
Name |
Team |
G |
| 1. |
Emmie Ramirez |
CBU |
46 |
| 2. |
Lucy Bullock |
SDSU |
44 |
| 3. |
Claudia Valdes |
SDSU |
40 |
| 4. |
Sydney Gish |
SDSU |
34 |
| 5. |
Shannon Murphy |
SDSU |
33 |
|
Mimi Stoupas |
SDSU |
33 |
Saves
| ## |
Name |
Team |
G |
| 1. |
Haley Tassell |
SCU |
194 |
| 2. |
Katelyn Mobley |
FS |
188 |
| 3. |
Daniela Herrero Miralles |
APU |
176 |
| 4. |
Madison Searle |
LMU |
155 |
| 5. |
Tyanna Schneider |
CBU |
130 |
Save Percentage
| ## |
Name |
Team |
SV |
SvPCT |
| 1. |
Tiaare Ahovelo |
SDSU |
92 |
.541 |
| 2. |
Madison Searle |
LMU |
155 |
.512 |
| 3. |
Katelyn Mobley |
FS |
188 |
.467 |
Goals Against Average
| ## |
Name |
Team |
GP |
GAA |
| 1. |
Madison Searle |
LMU |
22 |
8.55 |
| 2. |
Tiaare Ahovelo |
SDSU |
17 |
8.83 |
| 3. |
Katelyn Mobley |
FS |
22 |
10.76 |
NATIONAL POLLS
The Collegiate Water Polo Association Varsity Top 25 after week 12 has LMU at No. 8spot. Following the Lions is Fresno State at a tie for 13th with Princeton San Diego State is ranked No. 16. California Baptist is ranked 20th, followed one spot behind by Pacific at No. 21.
Full poll >>
PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL
Fresno State has been picked to win the Golden Coast Conference in the 2026 season, according to the annual Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The seven GCC head coaches gave the Bulldogs 35 points, four better than second place LMU. Rounding out the poll is Pacific (26 points) at third place, San Diego State (21) in fourth, California Baptist (17) in fifth, Azusa Pacific (9) in sixth, and Santa Clara (8) in seventh.
ABOUT THE GCC
The 2026 campaign will be the 13th season for the Golden Coast Conference and will feature seven institutions competing within the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Following the 2016 season, the women's division earned an automatic bid to the National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championships, with the winner of the annual league tournament representing the GCC. In 2025, LMU knocked off four-time GCC champion Fresno State, who won the tournament in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. It was the Lions' third tournament title.
The league's seven members in 2026 are Azusa Pacific, California Baptist, Fresno State, Loyola Marymount, Pacific, San Diego State, and Santa Clara. This is the last season for the Lancers in the GCC, who will join the Big West in 2026-27. In that 2026-27 season, the GCC will consist of nine teams with Saint Mary's College, San Jose State and UC Davis joining the league.
NOTE: Santa Clara announced on March 18 they will not participate in the remainder of the 2026 season. Their final games of the season are marked as a forfeit and will be reflected in the standings when they were scheduled to play.