Pepperdine University’s men’s water polo team had three athletes recognized in the 2025 Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) All-American selections, announced this week. Sophomore Erik Ionescu was named to the ACWPC Third Team All-American, while senior Sandor Gal and graduate student Matty Walsh received honorable mention honors.
Ionescu led Pepperdine with 100 points this season, recording 57 goals and 43 assists. He scored multiple goals in 18 of his 27 appearances and posted at least five points in 11 games, including key victories over ranked teams such as UC Santa Barbara, Long Beach State, LMU, and San Jose State during the WCC Semifinal. Ionescu also contributed defensively with 15 steals and nine field blocks. He earned a WCC Player of the Week award in November and finished fifth in the conference for total points.
Gal ranked second on the team with 96 points from 46 goals and 50 assists. He led Pepperdine in field blocks with 21 and was second in steals with 29. Gal recorded multiple points in most games played this season, ending strong with a notable performance at the WCC Championships that earned him All-Tournament Team recognition. This is Gal’s second consecutive year receiving ACWPC honorable mention honors.
Walsh topped Pepperdine’s scoring chart with 58 goals on 104 shots, making him the team’s most efficient scorer. He registered multi-goal efforts throughout much of the season and ended eighth overall for goals scored in the West Coast Conference. Walsh added six assists, 23 steals, and eight field blocks to his contributions.
The trio helped lead Pepperdine to a 17-11 record for the season, including eleven wins against ranked opponents and an appearance in the WCC Semifinals. The Waves maintained a top-10 national ranking for most of the season and concluded as No. 9 nationally.
Pepperdine water polo has a history of success under former coach Terry Schroeder and current head coach Merrill Moses. The program won its only national championship in 1997 with Moses as starting goalie and has reached the NCAA Tournament thirteen times. Last year, Pepperdine claimed its first WCC Regular Season Championship since joining the conference structure. In total, sixty-seven athletes from Pepperdine have earned All-American honors over fifty-one seasons.
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