The idiom “fish out of water” refers to a situation in which one feels unfamiliar or awkward.
But the phrase “Bruins out of water” fails to describe the 2025 summer – virtually the entire UCLA squad gained experience while competing overseas this summer, making the pool a second home.
And that experience is exactly what No. 1 UCLA men’s water polo can ride into its opening weekend of regular season competition, beginning with a Friday evening match against Navy in Coronado, California, at the Brian Bent Memorial Aquatics Complex. The squad will then venture to the Canyonview Aquatic Center in La Jolla, California to face No. 14 UC Davis and No. 12 UC San Diego at Saturday’s Triton Invitational.
The Bruins return a squad that can repeat as national champions. UCLA claimed the 2024 trophy, ending the season with only two losses, each with a two-point margin. With six of the seven highest-scoring athletes returning from last year, the team appears poised to make an early statement.
Sophomore attacker Ryder Dodd – who claimed the Peter J. Cutino Award, ACWPC Player of the Year and MPSF Player of the Year awards last season – will lead this charge.
Sophomore utility Peter Castillo and junior utility Ben Liechty will join Dodd as the core bunch. All three competed for the USA Junior National Team in June at the 2025 World Aquatics U20 Championships in Croatia.
Castillo delivered five goals across the USA’s three elimination matches, following up a freshman campaign where he garnered a Third Team All-American selection and Second Team All-MPSF honors. The Costa Mesa, California, local is the second-highest returning scorer, after netting 31 goals on a 0.517 conversion rate last season. Meanwhile, Liechty looks to return as one of UCLA’s most consistent offensive weapons – he scored in 14 of his 25 appearances last year and boasted nine multiple-goal outings alongside two hat tricks.
But UCLA will have to find new faces to guard its side of the water after the departure of former goalkeeper Garret Griggs.
Redshirt sophomore Nate Tauscher could likely fill this role.
Although he only started in three games last year, two of these starts came in the NCAA Tournament, including a title match performance where he racked up 10 saves and three steals. Tauscher was also part of Team USA at the 2025 FISU World University Games in Germany in July. He led all goalies in the tournament in saves and save percentage, and he also ranked second in penalty saves and steals.
But being a returner does not guarantee playing time.
Five true freshmen may help provide Coach Adam Wright with new lineup possibilities and combinations. One of these promising first-year players is goalkeeper Harper Gardner.
[Related: Roster reset: Men’s water polo sees new Bruins dive into the season]
Gardner boasts an imposing 6-foot-7 frame and was a two-time All-American at Rio Americano High School in Sacramento, California after posting nearly 500 saves across his junior and senior campaigns.
Nonetheless, the three-team gauntlet this weekend will give Wright his first opportunity to test the waters with a fresh roster.
Utility Holden Seybold is Navy’s top offensive weapon after posting 31 goals and 36 steals across his junior campaign. The team captain scored in 20 of his 32 games, which included nine matches where his shot attempts reached their target.
The Bruins also look to match up against a familiar foe in attacker Kiefer Black, who held a Team USA roster spot at the Junior World Championships. Black led Navy last year with 94 goals and 77 assists, and he logged 171 points in 2024 after recording 125 the season prior.
UC Davis possesses a former ally-turned-foe to UCLA, with Coach Daniel Leyson at the helm. Leyson was an assistant coach for the Bruins before joining the Aggies and winning five WWPA Coach of the Year awards.
Attacker Thomas Kiesling – the Aggies’ leading returning scorer who notched 64 points and 51 goals in 2024 – leads the squad. Kiesling was recently voted to the All-Big West Preseason Team.
UCLA will finish the week with a match against host UC San Diego – a team that seems bound to remain solid after preventing major roster turnover.
The Tritons return all nine of their leading scorers from last season, including attacker Landon Akerstrom, who was a 2024 All-Big West First Team selection.
UCLA’s opening matches may be pivotal to determine the best possible combinations to defend the national title, regardless of who faces the squad across the pool.
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