SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Three members of the Pacific men's water polo team were honored as the West Coast Conference announced its 2023 Men's Water Polo All-Conference and Major Awards. Junior Gil Gvishi and fifth-year senior Rene Peralta earned All-WCC Second Team honors while graduate student Stefan Vavic was named an All-WCC Honorable Mention.
 
"I am very proud of Gil, Rene and Stefan," said Pacific head coach James Graham. "They have been our captains, our most consistent performers and hardest working guys day in and day out. They are so deserving of these awards and more and I feel lucky to be able to work with them each day."
 
Gvishi, Peralta and Vavic received WCC honors for the first time in their careers, each representing a key component of the Tigers' offense this season.
 
Gvishi has put together a breakout year, leading Pacific in goals (54) and shots (149) through 25 games this season. The native of Kiryat, Tivon, Israel registered a point in every game this year, finding the back of the net in all but three contests during the regular season. Gvishi tallied nine hat tricks and 19 multi-point performances en route to a 68-point campaign, which ranks third on the Tigers.
 
Gvishi's 54 goals stand in a tie for seventh in the West Coast Conference. His 2.2 goals-per-game ratio ranks fifth on the conference leaderboard.
 
A catalyst from the perimeter, Peralta paced the Tigers with 35 assists through 25 games this season. Like Gvishi, the native of Miami, Fla. collected a point in every game, getting a shot past the goalkeeper in all but one game this year. Peralta posted seven games with five or more points, including a season-high six-assist, eight-point performance against Harvard on the final day of the Julian Fraser Memorial Tournament. Peralta also scored five hat tricks, including two five-goal displays this season.
 
Peralta was a top candidate on sprints throughout the season, owning a team-best .536 sprint win percentage. His 15 sprint wins are tied for seventh among WCC qualifiers. Peralta's 3.2 points-per-game ratio ranks eighth in the conference.
 
Rounding out the Tigers' trio earning conference accolades, Vavic represents the Tigers leader in points (84). His 50 goals and 34 assists rank second on the team. Vavic performed well down the stretch of the regular season, especially in conference play where he carried the Tigers with a team-best 16 goals and 24 points in six games. Vavic finished the year on a 10-game point streak which featured eight multi-point performances and five hat tricks.
 
Vavic has brought his A-game on defense, leading the Tigers in steals (37) and field blocks (11). Vavic's 11 field blocks puts him in a tie for third on the conference leaderboard while his 1.5 steals-per-game ratio stands atop all WCC players this season.

Gvishi, Peralta, Vavic and the rest of the Tigers look forward to competing in the inaugural West Coast Conference Tournament, beginning at noon on Friday, Nov. 17 against the San Jose State Spartans.
 
2023 WCC MEN'S WATER POLO ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS
 
Player of the Year: Antonio Knez (Pepperdine)
Coach of the Year: Terry Schroeder (Pepperdine)
Newcomer of the Year: Ryan Brosnan (Pepperdine)
 
First Team: Tommaso Baldineti (Loyola Marymount), Ryan Brosnan (Pepperdine), Zach Fales (Santa Clara), Antonio Knez (Pepperdine), Thomas Leggett (Air Force), Bence Szabo (San Jose State), Caleb Teraoka (California Baptist)
 
Second Team: Mateja Bosic (San Jose State), Adam Csapo (Pepperdine), Cameron Cullen (California Baptist), Stelios Dalmaras (Loyola Marymount), Gil Gvishi (Pacific), Rene Peralta (Pacific), Nico Tierney (Pepperdine)
 
Honorable Mention: Billy Barry (Santa Clara), Brendon Gyapjas (San Jose State), Chase Raisin (Santa Clara), Jonny Rimlinger (Loyola Marymount), Stefan Vavic (Pacific)
 
To find the full WCC release, click here.