Sharks go undefeated in Malibu Varsity Tournament

By McKenzie Jackson · Sun Sep 06 2026

Malibu boys water polo goes 4–0, capping the tournament with a statement 10–4 victory over Palisades

The Malibu Sharks boys water polo team had a 4-0 lead over Palisades High at the end of the first quarter of their home match on Aug. 29.

Once they dove into the pool for the second quarter, the Sharks didn’t let up. They scored another goal immediately.

Luke Trujillo, a junior center defender, said the Sharks were humming offensively and defensively.

“We have a really good idea of what each of us are going to do,” he said. “We are really communicative on defense and offense. Everyone is talking — ‘Pass here. Go there. In and out.’ It’s really nice.”

Although Palisades managed to put four goals on the board, the Sharks’ offensive onslaught continued. They scored five more goals and secured a 10-4 victory. The win gave Malibu a 4-0 record in the annual three-day Malibu Varsity Tournament.

Malibu head coach Hayden Goldberg said beating Palisades was a statement win, since Palisades has beaten the Sharks in seasons past.

“To beat Palisades was a big accomplishment for our boys,” he said. “We had chemistry — they are trusting each other. Even if mistakes are made, other guys are making up for them. There were a lot of really good switches.”

Trujillo said Malibu played with a lot of poise and chemistry.

“That was a great high-scoring game,” Trujillo added. “We were able to find each other. Even when getting an assist, if you are the third guy making the pass, it’s great because we are working together.”

Goldberg added that the team’s chemistry is rooted in the players’ friendships with each other.

“They are proving their respect for each other through their actions and their play,” Goldberg said.

Trujillo said Malibu’s chemistry improved throughout the tournament.

“It shows how we are developing as a team,” he said. “We have started to see how each other plays — who is driving when, who is [isolating], who is playing defense, who is talking. We are understanding how each other plays.”

The tournament began on Aug. 27. The Sharks beat Thousand Oaks and Calabasas before downing Carpinteria earlier in the day; they beat Palisades.

Goldberg said Malibu played great throughout the 11-team event.

“It’s been a couple of years since the boys were in the top four or five of this tournament, just because of the quality of water polo in the area,” he said. “Even though we have good teams, there has just been really good water polo out there.”

Goldberg praised the defense of Malibu goalie Martin Kurial.

“He was phenomenal,” Goldberg said. “He talked to our defense, made the blocks he needed to make, came out of the cage when needed, and kept us in games. He is a huge piece of our offense and defense.”

Kurial credited his teammates’ defense, playing in a summer league, and Malibu’s “hell week,” the team’s preseason training, for his strong play this season.

He also credited teammates Tosh Webb and Nikau Webb — who are brothers — Luke Trujillo, and Bodhi Skelton for Malibu’s success in the tournament.

“Tosh was getting a lot of posts with his brother — they were getting some crazy setups,” Kurial said. “Luke did a great job on defense with his set guard, and Bodhi just came out ripping shots and scoring.”

Malibu opened the season by going undefeated in the Conejo Classic with victories over Carpinteria, Oak Park, Santa Barbara, and Newbury Park. The Sharks were defeated 6-5 by Camarillo on Aug. 25.

Malibu plays the defending Tri-Valley League champions, Cate, on Friday at 4:30 p.m. in Carpinteria. The Sharks finished second in the league standings in 2025. Their only two league losses were to Cate.

Kurial said Malibu must defend well to beat Cate.

“We have to play our game,” he said.

Goldberg said the Sharks are looking forward to the matchup.

“Our number one goal is to win the league title,” he said.

Trujillo said Malibu has to continue to improve in order to win league and make a run in the CIF playoffs.

“We want to understand each other really well, so in CIF we can go far,” he said.