The Fresno State water polo team has its greatest goal scorer. However, the journey came with some hurdles. 

Senior attacker Hailey Andress broke the all-time scoring record for Fresno State water polo during the ASU Invitational against the California Lutheran University Regals. With 27 seconds to go in the first period, Andress came down the right side and ripped a shot that beat Regals’ goalie, Izzy de Souza.

Andress burst onto the scene with a 52-goal freshman campaign. She immediately followed that with a 74-goal sophomore season. She was named to the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches second team All-American and All-Golden Coast Conference (GCC) first team. 

It seemed like she was destined for an unbelievable junior season.

Despite scoring 65 goals, Andress dealt with a lot of pressure that hindered her third season with the ‘Dogs.

“I had some mental challenges with the sport last year,” Andress said. “But I worked with a great sports psychologist, and I’m ready to come back stronger than all three years I have been.” 

Andress’ struggles are something athletes deal with all the time. Pressure, expectations and leadership caused a dip in Andress’ production in her junior year.

It’s something that athletes have to deal with. But a certain relationship would help keep Andress grounded throughout her toughest year as a Bulldog. The budding relationship with freshman Andress and sophomore Brooke Ochoa, the program’s previous goal-scoring record-holder, lit a spark between the two young players.

“I knew that this was going to be someone that I was going to be playing with all three years,” Ochoa said. “I was really fortunate to have her join the team when she did.”

The relationship grew throughout Ochoa’s senior year, as she broke the record held by Emily Nicholson. The two shared friendly banter, which helped both athletes find some fun in the game.

Through Andress’ struggles, Ochoa was there as a teammate and as a friend.

“I think we all go through phases of struggling to find the fun in it,” Ochoa said. “You could see it with Hailey, but also, she did such a good job of growing up and stepping into one of those leadership roles.”

Through 20 games this season, Andress leads Fresno State in scoring with 55 goals. 

While she’s broken through mental blocks from her junior season, Andress and the Bulldogs had to navigate their first conference championship loss in five seasons.

The loss only fueled Andress’s drive for a big senior year. In the offseason and the fall, players and coaches noticed a different player.

“[She came in] super motivated,” said Head Coach Natalie Benson. “I think that loss got her attention, and she wanted to have a different outcome her senior year, and so she came in with good intentions.”

As a senior, Andress has stepped up as a vocal leader; someone that Benson can lean on when the team needs “someone on the inside.”

After losing key players, like Ochoa, Andress saw the opportunity to become that leader.

“I know I’m making an effort to step up and fill those spots that were so heavily present in our team,” Andress said.

Along with the leadership, it is other aspects of the game that Andress wants to improve on to become a well-rounded player and teammate. It’s a hard adjustment for athletes to make.

“You’re not just getting recognition from your team,” Ochoa said. “You’re getting recognition from news and all of these other things. It’s a hard thing to balance.”

The program’s culture has been the constant thing that helped Andress grow and find balance. It’s a culture that is helped out by Benson letting the team play with some fun.

Her competitive spirit also drives the team to be better.

“If there are rules in a drill that have, like, points and there’s something to be won, she’s the first one there for it,” Benson said.

Her goal-scoring, however, is truly what sets her apart.

Andress’s ability to manipulate the ball in unique ways gives her the extra edge to surprise goalies and defenders. Along with leading the program in goals, she also leads the program in hat tricks and goals in a single game.

This ability has led her to be nicknamed “Hailey Houdini.”

“She has great hands,” Benson said. “Big enough hands to where she can really manipulate the ball. It’s a really unique skill that not everybody can do, just because she’s so versatile in that space.”

Her career goals per game average sits at 2.51.

While every goal she scores for the rest of her career will make it harder for the next person to break it, Andress thinks freshmen Riaan Bryant and Charley Stephens have the tools to take down the leader.

For Andress, her records are meant to be broken.

“If [Bryant or Stephens] can, congrats, they deserve it,” Andress said. “I’m rooting for the best for Fresno overall. It’d be awesome.”

As her time at Fresno State begins to close, Benson has nothing but gratitude for having coached Andress.

“Hailey’s career has been pretty spectacular,” Benson said. “It’s been really rewarding to watch her career throughout all four years.”

Andress and the ‘Dogs will look to win the program’s fifth GCC title in their home pool. The tournament will be from April 10-12.