The Golden Coast Conference celebrated it's 10th season with the 2023 collegiate women's water polo season. The 2026 campaign will be the 13th season and will feature seven institutions competing within the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The league began in 2014 and in 2016 the league added a men's division with six member instituitions. The men's division concluded in 2022 with the six schools joining new leagues.
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 is the Lions' third tournament title.
TImeline:
Women's Division
2014-16: Azusa Pacific, California Baptist, Fresno Pacific, Loyola Marymount, Pacific, San Diego State, Santa Clara
2017: Azusa Pacific, California Baptist, Concordia, Fresno Pacific, Loyola Marymount, Pacific, San Diego State, Santa Clara
2018-2025: Azusa Pacific, California Baptist, Concordia, Fresno State, Loyola Marymount, Pacific, San Diego State, Santa Clara
- Concordia announced that the 2025 season will be their final year in the GCC. They will be joining the WWPA in the 2025-26 year.
2026: Azusa Pacific, California Baptist, Fresno State, Loyola Marymount, Pacific, San Diego State, Santa Clara
- California Baptist announced that the 2026 season will be their final year in the GCC. They will be joining the Big West in 2026-27.
2027: Azusa Pacific, Fresno State, Loyola Marymount, Pacific, Saint Mary's College, San Diego State, San Jose State, Santa Clara, UC Davis
- The 2027 campaign will be the final season in the GCC for Azusa Pacific, who has joined the SCIAC.
Men's Division
2016-2022: Long Beach State, Pacific, Pepperdine, San Jose State, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara
The 2022 season was the final year of the men's division within the GCC as the teams joined other conferences.
Learn more about the Golden Coast Conference:
History
Championships
Award Winners
Staff
Annual Champions & Individual Award Winners
Women's Division
| Season |
Regular Season
Champion |
Tournament
Champion |
Player of the Year |
Newcomer of the Year |
Coach of the Year |
| 2025 Women |
LMU |
LMU |
Ruth Arino Ruiz, LMU |
Jessie Nelson, APU |
Ikaika Aki, LMU |
| 2024 Women |
LMU |
Fresno State |
Ruth Arino Ruiz, LMU |
Skye Nankervis, LMU |
Natalie Benson, FS |
| 2023 Women |
Fresno State |
Fresno State |
Brooke Ochoa, FS |
Hailey Andress, FS |
Natalie Benson, FS |
| 2022 Women |
Fresno State |
Fresno State |
Emily Nicholson, FS |
Fanni Muzsnay, FS |
Natalie Benson, FS |
| 2021 Women |
Fresno State
San Diego State
Pacific |
Fresno State |
Truly Dorland, UOP |
Raquel de Pinho, SDSU |
Natalie Benson, FS |
| 2020 Women * |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
| 2019 Women |
Pacific |
Pacific |
Kyra Christmas, UOP |
Marialena Seletopoulou, LMU |
James Graham, UOP |
| 2018 Women |
Pacific |
Pacific |
Kyra Christmas, UOP |
Emily Nicholson, FS
Kira O'Donell, CBU |
James Graham, UOP |
| 2017 Women |
San Diego St. |
Pacific |
Caroline Israels, SDSU |
Amber Penny, FPU |
James Graham, UOP |
| 2016 Women |
San Diego St. |
San Diego St. |
Hannah Evans, CBU |
Viktoria Szmodics, UOP |
Carin Crawford, SDSU |
| 2015 Women |
San Diego St. |
LMU |
Caroline Israels, SDSU
Anna Kertes, UOP |
Alba Espinar, APU |
Kyle Witt, LMU |
| 2014 Women |
San Diego St. |
LMU |
Alexandra Honny, LMU |
Ioli Benekou, SDSU |
Kyle Witt, LMU |
Men's Division
| Season |
Regular Season
Champion |
Tournament
Champion |
Player of the Year |
Newcomer of the Year |
Coach of the Year |
| 2022 Men |
Pacific
Long Beach St. |
Pacific |
Rafael Real Vergara, LBSU |
Ethan Shipman, UCI |
James Graham, UOP |
| 2021 Men |
Long Beach St. |
Long Beach St. |
Rafael Real Vergara, LBSU |
Reuel D'Souza, UOP |
Gavin Arroyo, LBSU |
| 2020 Men ** |
Pepperdine |
None |
Kent Emden, PEP |
None |
None |
| 2019 Men |
Pacific |
Pepperdine |
Luke Pavillard, UOP |
Jeremie Cote, UOP |
Terry Schroeder, PEP |
| 2018 Men |
Pacific |
Long Beach St. |
Luke Pavillard, UOP |
Jason Evezard, UCI |
Gavin Arroyo, LBUS |
| 2017 Men |
Pacific |
Pacific |
Luke Pavillard, UOP |
Jacob Mercep, SJSU
Fynn Schuetze, UCI |
James Graham, UOP |
| 2016 Men |
UC Santa Barbara |
Pepperdine |
Marko Asic, PEP
Nolan McConnell, LBSU |
Engin Ege Colak, UOP |
Terry Schroeder, PEP |
* - 2020 season cancelled in March of 2020 due to COVID-19 Pandemic
** - 2020 men's season was limited due to COVID-19 Pandemic and featured only Pepperdine and San Jose State. No tournament was played.