In back-to-back seasons, the Fresno State women’s water polo team lost in the Golden Coast Conference (GCC) Championship game to the No. 1-seed Loyola Marymount Lions.
In both seasons, the Bulldogs were the No. 2 seed in the GCC Tournament and carried the program leader in goals scored.
In both title games, the Bulldogs lost by two goals, watching the Lions waste away the final seconds by playing keep-away.
The Bulldogs finish the 2026 season with a 15-10 record, but are still in search of the program’s fifth GCC title. A title that will get tougher next year, as the conference adds two new members next season: Saint Mary’s College and San Jose State.
The program had never been knocked off the summit; getting back to the top was going to be a challenge. The Lions lost just four games all season, earning the No. 7 spot in the national rankings.
The Lions were also dominating the rivalry, taking the last three meetings by convincing margins.
But as the ‘Dogs opened the title tilt, it looked like they were going to get back on top and back to the NCAA tournament.
Then, the Lions got some stops. But so too did the Bulldogs. Their freshman goalie, Katelyn Mobley, stood on her head for about 21 minutes.
The Lions tied the game, but the ‘Dogs needed to keep scoring. If they traded goals on every possession, at worst, the game would go to overtime.
However, the Lions kept getting stops. At the other end, the Bulldogs weren’t getting stops.
From 6-5, fans and the Bulldogs watched the Lions’ score creep from six to seven and then to eight, all while watching the clock tick down from two minutes to one minute and eventually to zeros.
The ‘Dogs had to watch the Lions flood the pool to celebrate their win. The ‘Dogs had to watch the coaches jump in the pool. The ‘Dogs had to watch the Lions host the trophy in front of them.
With the defeat, the program loses one of its best players in history: Hailey Andress.
She finishes her Fresno State career with 257 goals, 40 more than second place. She also finishes with two gut-wrenching GCC Tournament losses.
But as the program looks to 2027 and beyond, three young freshmen look to bring the program back to glory: Katelyn Mobley, Riaan Bryant and Charley Stephens.
Stephens showed incredible poise in the semifinals against the San Diego State Aztecs, drawing a big exclusion that led the ‘Dogs to score the game-winning goal. She’s also showcased her incredible shooting prowess, depositing 41 goals.
Bryant also showcased her scoring ability, her playmaking ability and tenacity. She scored 43 goals, assisted on 24 goals and drew 13 exclusions.
Mobley made over 200 saves in the net. She’s already third all-time in saves in program history and third in saves in a single season.
And the freshman impact expands to more than just these three.
Charli Muñoz capped off Polopalooza at the beginning of the season with an overtime buzzer-beating goal.
Noa Markovsky netted a huge hat trick and the game-winning goal in the GCC semifinals against the Aztecs.
So, as the sun sets on an era of Fresno State water polo, you best believe that the sun will rise on a new era with these young, hungry ‘Dogs.
