STOCKTON, Calif. – After locking up a share of their third straight regular season conference title last week, the No. 12 Pacific women's water polo team (9-5, 6-1) will aim to secure their fourth consecutive GCC Tournament crown this weekend when they host the 2021 GCC Women's Championships at Chris Kjeldsen Pool at the Pacific Aquatics Center.
 
Different from years past, this year's tournament will feature the top four teams from the regular season with the top seed taking on the fourth seed in the first semifinal, followed by the No. 2 seed from the regular season taking on the No. 3 seed in the second semifinal. Both semifinals will be played on Friday with game times set for 12:00 and 3:00 pm PST. On Championship Saturday, the semifinal winners will play in the championship game on at 12:00 pm PST. The winner will earn an automatic bid to the 2021 National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championships.
 
TOURNAMENT DETAILS:
 
Semifinal #1- No. 2 seed vs. No. 3 seed:
 
No. 12 (3) Pacific (9-5, 6-1) vs. No. 13 (2) San Diego State (7-13, 6-1)
Date:   Friday, April 23, 2021
Time: 12:00 pm PST
Location: Stockton, California
Venue: Chris Kjeldsen Pool at the Pacific Aquatics Center 
Links: Watch | Listen

Semifinal #2- No. 1 seed vs. No. 4 seed:
 
No. 17 (4) California Baptist (5-10, 3-4) vs. No. 11 (1) Fresno State (10-5, 6-1)
Date:   Friday, April 23, 2021
Time: 3:00 pm PST
Location: Stockton, California
Venue: Chris Kjeldsen Pool at the Pacific Aquatics Center 
Links: Watch | Listen
 
Championship Match- Winner of Semifinal #1 vs. Winner of Semifinal #2:

TBD vs. TBD
Date:   Saturday, April 24, 2021
Time: 12:00 pm PST
Location: Stockton, California
Venue: Chris Kjeldsen Pool at the Pacific Aquatics Center 
Links: Watch | Listen
 
 
THINGS TO KNOW:

• With the regular season recently concluding, four Tigers earned postseason honors from the GCC: redshirt senior Truly Dorland was named Player of the Year and earned a spot on the First Team while classmate Viktoria Tamas also was selected to the First Team. Additionally, Toula Falvey and Emanuella Nathan both were awarded spots on the Second Team while Nathan capped off her first year in Stockton by being selected to First Team All-Freshmen. Overall, it marks the third straight season a Tiger has been named conference player of the year (2020 canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic) as Kyra Christmas earned the honors in both 2018 and 2019.
• Coming down to the final weekend of action, the Tigers finished in a three-way tie atop the conference standings with Fresno State and San Diego State as all three schools tallied a 6-1 record in GCC play this season. Despite the tie, Pacific clinched at least a share of the regular season conference crown for the third consecutive year, dating back to 2017-18. Furthermore, the Tigers will also seek their fourth consecutive tournament title as UOP has won three straight GCC tournaments dating back to 2016-17. These streaks do not include the 2020 season, which was abruptly halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Heading into postseason play, Falvey finished as leader in total goals for Pacific this season with 39, followed by Dorland with 36 and junior Ana Martinez do Amaral with 26. Additionally, junior Lucy Davis paced the Tigers in assists with 32 while Dorland led all field players with 21 total steals. In the cage, Nathan finished a 6-3 overall record in 10 starts, tallying 66 total saves and 24 steals in her first year in the Orange & Black.

 
SCOUTING THE AZTECS:

• Earlier this season, Pacific defeated the Aztecs, 11-10, in a thrilling victory in Stockton on Mar. 13. Since 1996, San Diego State has won 33 of the 37 meetings between the two programs, but the Tigers have taken down SDSU in four of their last five matchups. In the GCC tournament, UOP holds a 1-2 record against the Aztecs with their win coming in a 11-7 victory in the 2017 championship match.
• With their 16-9 win over California Baptist last week, SDSU clinched at least a share of the 2021 GCC regular season title to notch their league-record fifth conference crown. Overall, the Aztecs are the only team within the GCC to have faced a ranked opponent in each match this season.
• Individually, six different student-athletes received postseason honors from the GCC: Emily Bennett (First Team), Raquel de Pinho (Newcomer of the Year, First Team), Karli Canale (Second Team), Spencer Samuel (Honorable Mention), Laurene Padilla (First Team All-Freshmen) and Faith Cerussi (Second Team All-Freshmen). As a whole, Canale paces the Aztecs in shots (128), goals (51), points (68), blocks (10) and sprints won while also placing second in steals (25).

 
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:

• Fresno State earned the top seed in the tournament after finishing with the best goal differential (+2) amongst the three teams who tied atop the final standings. Notably, this is the first time in program history that the Bulldogs have secured the top spot.
• Winners of six of their last seven, Fresno State has outscored their opponents 231-159 in 2021, averaging 15.4 goals per game. Impressively, four different players have scored 20+ goals this season.
• In GCC tournament play, the Bulldogs are 0-1 all-time, dropping the fifth-place game in 2018 to California Baptist in overtime, 13-10.
• Individually, five different student-athletes received postseason honors for the Bulldogs, the most in school history: Daphne Guevremont (First Team), Emily Nicholson (First Team), Callie Woodruff (Second Team), Kaitlin Howard (First Team All-Freshmen) and Cynthia Rose (Second Team All-Freshmen).

 
SCOUTING THE LANCERS:

• Enjoying a historic season in 2021, the Lancers have tied their highest ever ranking in program history by checking in at No. 17 heading into the tournament this weekend. Additionally, the birth into the tournament as a four seed is also tied for the second-best ever in program history.
• This year, CBU has faced a rugged schedule, squaring off against nine top-10 opponents with six of these contests coming on the road.
• Overall, the Lancers and Bulldogs have faced each other four times since Fresno State begin their program in 2018, with FSU taking down CBU, 23-12, earlier this season.
• Individually, three student-athletes earned postseason honors for the Lancers: Kira O'Donell (First Team), Jamie Hutton (Second Team) and Melinna Galbraith (Second Team All-Freshmen).

 
TRACK THE ACTION:
Live streaming and live statistics of all three contests for the 2021 GCC Women's Championships can be found here. Live streaming and live statistics for each Pacific contest will be available via pacifictigers.com.
 
FOLLOW US:
For more information and updates on the Pacific women's water polo team, please follow the team on Twitter (@Pacific_WWP), Instagram (@pacificwaterpolo) and Facebook (@pacificwomenswaterpolo).