Spurred by hat tricks from Sammi Byers, Julianne Stark, and Mimi Stoupas, the No. 22-ranked San Diego State water polo team outlasted California Baptist 14-13 on Friday afternoon to punch its ticket to the semifinals of the 2025 Golden Coast Conference (GCC) Championship at Burns Aquatic Center.
The fourth-seeded Aztecs (15-13) continued their dominance in quarterfinal matchups, improving to 6-0 all-time in opening-round GCC Tournament games. With the win, SDSU secured back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2014 and 2015 and will face top-seeded and No. 9-ranked Loyola Marymount on Saturday at 4 p.m. PT for a spot in the conference championship game.
San Diego State’s victory was built on a balanced scoring attack and timely defensive stands. Byers, Stark, and Stoupas each found the back of the net three times, while Amanda Chambers, Megan Holcomb, Rose Kanemy, Sofia Righetti, and Claudia Valdes added crucial single goals.
Goalkeepers Tiaare Ahovelo and Ava Ratajczak split time in the cage. Ahovelo started the first half, making five saves and assisting on a career-high three goals, while Ratajczak closed out the game with three saves and two steals across the final 16 minutes.
The Aztecs trailed early, but Byers equalized with her first of the day before assisting Stoupas on a power play to tie it 2-2. After trading goals, SDSU took its first lead late in the first quarter and carried a 5-5 tie into the second.
The second period belonged to San Diego State, outscoring CBU (12=15) 5-2 to take a 10-7 halftime lead, highlighted by back-to-back goals from Stark and Ahovelo’s second and third assists. The Lancers closed the gap several times in the second half, but key goals by Stoupas and Stark in the fourth quarter kept SDSU in front. Despite CBU trimming the margin to one with under four minutes to play, the Aztecs’ defense held strong to seal the win.
Since joining the Golden Coast Conference in 2014, San Diego State has been a consistent force. The Aztecs have never been seeded lower than No. 4 and have advanced to the semifinals yearly in their 12-season history. With Friday’s win, SDSU improved its GCC Championship record to 14-12 and maintained a perfect 4-0 record against California Baptist in tournament play.
SDSU also extended its strong overall record against CBU to 29-3, winning 26 of the last 27 meetings between the programs.
San Diego State faces a major test in the semifinals against top-seeded Loyola Marymount, a team the Aztecs have not beaten since 2021. SDSU has dropped its last nine meetings, including an 18-12 defeat in last year’s GCC semifinals. The Aztecs are seeking to reach the GCC Championship game for the first time since 2021 and capture their second conference title in program history.
If the Aztecs defeat LMU, they will advance to the GCC Championship game on Sunday at 1 p.m. PT. A loss will send them to the third-place game at 11 a.m. PT.
