Saturday, February 27
Malibu, CA
11:00 am MT
Air Force Academy
at
Pepperdine University
No. 8 Air Force travels to No. 5 Pepperdine
2/24/2021 1:26:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
No. 8 Air Force travels to No. 5 Pepperdine
This Week: The eighth-ranked Air Force water polo team will travel to Malibu, Calif., for a non-conference game against fifth-ranked Pepperdine, Saturday, Feb. 27, at 10 am PT.
Schedule Changes: Air Force's games against California Baptist, scheduled for Feb. 26, in Riverside, Calif., have been canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.
Following the Falcons: The Pepperdine game will be video streamed at https://watchstadium.com/live/air-force-at-pepperdine-2/ and live stats will also be available on www.TheFosh.net. Links to both the stream and live stats are also on the Air Force water polo schedule.
About the Waves: Pepperdine is ranked fifth in the nation with a 7-2 overall record. The Waves have won four straight, including a 19-7 win over Loyola Marymount on Sunday, Feb. 21. The only two losses have been to No. 2 UCLA and No. 3 USC. Waves' junior Balazs Kosa, a two-time All-American, leads the nation with 48 points and is second with 33 goals.
Series Records: Air Force and Pepperdine have played 47 times and the Waves hold a 43-4 lead. Pepperdine swept the Falcons in a pair of games to open this season. The last Falcon win over the Waves came in 1996 (14 straight).
Earlier This Season vs. the Waves: Air Force opened the season with a pair of losses to fourth-ranked Pepperdine, 16-9 and 12-7, Jan. 23, in Malibu, Calif. In the first game, Air Force fell behind early but rallied with four goals early in the fourth quarter. Alex Hirjoi had a career-high three goals and Anthony Tolbert made five saves for the Falcons. In the second game, Pepperdine took an early lead, but the Falcons again rallied. Goals by Jason Hires and Sam Fuller in the third cut the Waves' lead to 8-5. The teams traded goals in the fourth but the Falcons could not get any closer. A.J. Kuypers made nine saves for the Falcons.
WWPA Championships: Air Force is the No. 1 seed in the Western Water Polo Association Championships, March 5-6, in Riverside, Calif. Air Force will have a bye in the first round as California Baptist and Loyola Marymount will play on March 5 at noon PT. The winner will meet Air Force on March 6, at 1 pm PT. The winner of the WWPA Tournament receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships, March 20-21.
National Rankings: Sophomore Grant Snyder leads the nation with 19 assists, is second in the nation in points (47), fourth in goals (28) and fourth in steals (19). Snyder also leads the nation with 30 sprint victories. Senior Jason Hires is second in the nation in field blocks (5) and ninth in steals (17). Senior Campbell Harris is seventh in the nation in goals (23) while junior Sam Fuller is 10th in points (27). Junior Gavin Jones is seventh in steals (13) and field blocks (3).
Last Week: Air Force was off last week after claiming the No. 1 seed in the WWPA Championships with a 15-14 overtime win over seventh-ranked California Baptist, Feb. 13, at the Cadet Natatorium. The game went back and forth with Air Force leading the majority of first half. The Lancers took a 12-11 lead in the fourth, but the Falcons tied it as Campbell Harris scored with 52 seconds left. AF goalie A.J. Kuypers made a save with 30 seconds left as the game forcing overtime. Each team scored once in the first overtime. In the second overtime, Henry Yavitt won the sprint and then scored on the ensuing possession for a 14-13 lead with 2:40 remaining. The Lancers tied it on their next possession, but Yavitt's second of the period put the Falcons up 15-14 with 1:57 left. Sam Fuller forced a turnover and then Kuypers made a save with 15 seconds remaining to preserve the win. Kuypers matched his career high with 10 saves in the game. CBU won the next two non-conference games, 17-12 on Feb. 13 and 16-15 in overtime on Feb. 14.
In the three-game series, Harris led the Falcons with 10 goals. Snyder had 14 points (6-8-14), while Hirjoi had eight points (7 goals), Fuller and Jones each had seven while Yavitt and Tanis each had six.
This Week: The eighth-ranked Air Force water polo team will travel to Malibu, Calif., for a non-conference game against fifth-ranked Pepperdine, Saturday, Feb. 27, at 10 am PT.
Schedule Changes: Air Force's games against California Baptist, scheduled for Feb. 26, in Riverside, Calif., have been canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.
Following the Falcons: The Pepperdine game will be video streamed at https://watchstadium.com/live/air-force-at-pepperdine-2/ and live stats will also be available on www.TheFosh.net. Links to both the stream and live stats are also on the Air Force water polo schedule.
About the Waves: Pepperdine is ranked fifth in the nation with a 7-2 overall record. The Waves have won four straight, including a 19-7 win over Loyola Marymount on Sunday, Feb. 21. The only two losses have been to No. 2 UCLA and No. 3 USC. Waves' junior Balazs Kosa, a two-time All-American, leads the nation with 48 points and is second with 33 goals.
Series Records: Air Force and Pepperdine have played 47 times and the Waves hold a 43-4 lead. Pepperdine swept the Falcons in a pair of games to open this season. The last Falcon win over the Waves came in 1996 (14 straight).
Earlier This Season vs. the Waves: Air Force opened the season with a pair of losses to fourth-ranked Pepperdine, 16-9 and 12-7, Jan. 23, in Malibu, Calif. In the first game, Air Force fell behind early but rallied with four goals early in the fourth quarter. Alex Hirjoi had a career-high three goals and Anthony Tolbert made five saves for the Falcons. In the second game, Pepperdine took an early lead, but the Falcons again rallied. Goals by Jason Hires and Sam Fuller in the third cut the Waves' lead to 8-5. The teams traded goals in the fourth but the Falcons could not get any closer. A.J. Kuypers made nine saves for the Falcons.
WWPA Championships: Air Force is the No. 1 seed in the Western Water Polo Association Championships, March 5-6, in Riverside, Calif. Air Force will have a bye in the first round as California Baptist and Loyola Marymount will play on March 5 at noon PT. The winner will meet Air Force on March 6, at 1 pm PT. The winner of the WWPA Tournament receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships, March 20-21.
National Rankings: Sophomore Grant Snyder leads the nation with 19 assists, is second in the nation in points (47), fourth in goals (28) and fourth in steals (19). Snyder also leads the nation with 30 sprint victories. Senior Jason Hires is second in the nation in field blocks (5) and ninth in steals (17). Senior Campbell Harris is seventh in the nation in goals (23) while junior Sam Fuller is 10th in points (27). Junior Gavin Jones is seventh in steals (13) and field blocks (3).
Last Week: Air Force was off last week after claiming the No. 1 seed in the WWPA Championships with a 15-14 overtime win over seventh-ranked California Baptist, Feb. 13, at the Cadet Natatorium. The game went back and forth with Air Force leading the majority of first half. The Lancers took a 12-11 lead in the fourth, but the Falcons tied it as Campbell Harris scored with 52 seconds left. AF goalie A.J. Kuypers made a save with 30 seconds left as the game forcing overtime. Each team scored once in the first overtime. In the second overtime, Henry Yavitt won the sprint and then scored on the ensuing possession for a 14-13 lead with 2:40 remaining. The Lancers tied it on their next possession, but Yavitt's second of the period put the Falcons up 15-14 with 1:57 left. Sam Fuller forced a turnover and then Kuypers made a save with 15 seconds remaining to preserve the win. Kuypers matched his career high with 10 saves in the game. CBU won the next two non-conference games, 17-12 on Feb. 13 and 16-15 in overtime on Feb. 14.
In the three-game series, Harris led the Falcons with 10 goals. Snyder had 14 points (6-8-14), while Hirjoi had eight points (7 goals), Fuller and Jones each had seven while Yavitt and Tanis each had six.
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