Pepperdine men’s water polo opens season with national and conference recognition

By McKenzie Jackson · Sun Aug 30 2026

Waves enter season ranked No. 8 nationally and third in WCC preseason poll as senior Jon Carcarey earns All-WCC preseason honors

The Pepperdine Waves men’s water polo team received notable preseason recognition ahead of the start of their season.

Senior utility Jon Carcarey was named to the All–West Coast Conference Preseason Team on Aug. 21, while the Waves were selected as a top-three team in the eight‑member conference and rated as a top‑10 team nationally.

Carcarey, a senior utility, was an All-WCC honorable mention and a member of the Cutino Award Watch List last season. He finished the year with 34 goals, 24 assists, 26 steals, and 10 field blocks.

Additionally, Pepperdine is ranked eighth in the Preseason Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Coaches Poll and was picked third in the WCC Preseason Coaches Poll.

UCLA was named the top team in the country, followed by USC, Stanford, California, Fordham, UC Davis, and Long Beach State. Pepperdine, San Jose State, and Princeton rounded out the top 10.

San Jose State was picked as the WCC’s top team by coaches, followed by UC Davis and then Pepperdine. The poll continues with Pacific, LMU, Santa Clara, Saint Mary’s, and Air Force.

Pepperdine finished last season ranked ninth nationally. The team posted a 17–11 record, which included 11 victories over ranked opponents. The Waves’ season ended in the semifinal round of the WCC Tournament.

Pepperdine returns 21 players from last season’s squad, including junior goalie Max Smirnov, an All-WCC Second Team selection; junior attacker Erik Ionescu, also a Second Team honoree and an Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches Third Team All-American; and sophomore Csanád Bella, a member of last year’s All-WCC Freshman Team.

The Waves also welcome seven freshmen to the roster.

Pepperdine’s season begins on Saturday with a matchup against McKendree in the Triton Invite at UC San Diego. The Waves face Claremont-Mudd-Scripps later that day and then play Long Beach State and UC San Diego on Sunday.

Pepperdine’s home opener is on Sept. 3 against Biola. They play UC Santa Barbara later that day.