Spartans

STANFORD, Calif. – ⁢the San José State Spartans men’s water polo team (14-7, 5-1 ​WCC) will compete ⁤in the first round of the 2025 National Collegiate Men’s water Polo Championship on Friday,⁤ dec. 5, at 2⁤ p.m. PT, facing the ​Fordham Rams (25-3, 12-0 MAWPC) at Avery Aquatic Center. The match will be streamed live on NCAA.com.

This marks the Spartans’ second NCAA Tournament appearance in three seasons, ending a 52-year drought prior to thier 2023 qualification.​ san José State⁤ previously met Fordham this season, narrowly ​losing 10-9 during‍ the Julian Fraser​ Memorial⁢ tournament. The Spartans⁤ concluded the season ranked sixth nationally, while Fordham held the fifth ​position.

SJSU secured⁤ their second WCC‍ Championship in three years, defeating Air Force 14-10, edging No.10 Pepperdine 13-12 in overtime, and dominating​ No. 15 Cal‍ Baptist 15-9 in⁣ the championship game.

brendon Gyapjas earned WCC⁢ Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors with 41 saves and a .569 save percentage.Gyapjas,Samu Biros,and Mateja Bosić were all named to the WCC All-Tournament Team.‍ Bosić led the tournament with ⁤12 goals, followed by Biros with 10.

The ⁤Spartans finished ​the ⁣regular season 11-7 and were named WCC Co-Regular ‍Season Champions ‍with a 5-1 conference record. Goalie Gyapjas was recognized ⁤as‌ the‍ WCC Player of the Year and earned All-WCC First Team selection-a⁣ program first.⁣ Sam Keightley and Biros were named⁤ to the All-WCC ⁢Second Team, with Keightley also earning all-WCC Freshman Team honors. Bosic received an All-WCC Honorable Mention.

the winner⁤ of the Spartans-Rams contest will advance to⁣ face either ‍the⁢ No.1 seed USC or ⁣the No. 8 seed Concordia University Irvine ⁢on ⁤Saturday at 2 p.m.

#AllSpartans

San Jose ​State’s high-powered‌ offense continued to dominate, powering the ⁤Spartans to a decisive victory over Hawai’i in a 37-12 shootout presented by Habbas Law. The ⁤win solidifies SJSU’s position as a force in the Mountain West conference and keeps⁤ their championship⁢ aspirations firmly on track.

This offensive showcase highlights San Jose State’s emergence as a⁣ premier passing attack, currently ranked No. ‍1 nationally with an average of 331.5 yards ⁢per game. ⁢The Spartans boast the second-best total offense in⁤ the Mountain‍ West, averaging 452.9 yards per ‌game, and the‌ victory‌ demonstrates their ‌ability to‌ consistently put points on the board. The team will now turn‍ its attention⁣ to a​ crucial homecoming matchup against Air Force on November 8th.

Wide receiver Shoels had a standout performance, exceeding 100 receiving yards for the third time this‍ season, finishing with⁢ 109 ⁣yards in⁢ the game. On the defensive side,Jaylen Thomas recovered his first career fumble,while pollard forced his first fumble of the‌ season -⁢ the second of his‌ career – and recorded‍ his 2.5th sack‌ of the season, achieving sacks in‍ consecutive games.

The Spartan defence also proved formidable, holding Hawai’i sackless and allowing a Mountain West-low eight sacks ​all season. Special ​teams contributed as well, with Mathias Brown successfully making his first career field goal. Linebacker caleb Presley also achieved ​a new career-high with six tackles and a tackle for​ loss.

UP NEXT: ⁤ The Spartans will host homecoming against Air Force on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 3 p.m.from CEFCU Stadium,presented by Webcor. The game can ⁤be watched on FS1.