2024 Gannon men's water polo team photo

Men's Water Polo Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Men's Water Polo Tournament Preview: Golden Knights Face Fresno Pacific in Opening Round of WWPA Championships

2024 WWPA MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIPS
2E GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (15-5, 2-2 WWPA) vs. 3W FRESNO PACIFIC SUNBIRDS (4-18, 0-4 WWPA)
DATE:  Friday, November 22, 2024 I 4:00 p.m.
SITE:   William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center I Irvine, Calif.
 
LIVE COVERAGE:  LIVE VIDEO l  LIVE STATS
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
 
WWPA Men's Championships Schedule
Friday, November 22, 2024
Game 1 (Exhibition), 12 noon: UC Merced vs. 1W Concordia 
Game 2 (Quarterfinals), 2 p.m.: 2W Biola vs. 3E McKendree 
Game 3 (Quarterfinals), 4 p.m.: 2E GANNON vs. 3W Fresno Pacific 
Game 4 (Exhibition), 6 p.m.: UC Merced vs. 1E Salem 
 
Saturday, November 23, 2024
Game 5  (Exhibition), 12 noon: UC Merced vs Loser Game 2 
Game 6 (Semifinals), 2 p.m.: 1W Concordia vs Winner Game 3 
Game 7 (Semifinals), 4 p.m.: 1E Salem vs Winner Game 2 
Game 8 (Exhibition), 6 p.m.: UC Merced vs Loser Game 3
 
Sunday, November 24, 2024
Game 9 (5th Place), 12 noon: Loser Game 2 vs Loser Game 3
Game 10 (3rd Place), 2 p.m.: Loser Game 6 vs Loser Game 7 
Game 11 (Championship), 4 p.m.: Winner Game 6 vs Winner Game 7 
 
NOTE:  UC Merced, which will join the WWPA as a full NCAA Division II member for the 2026-27 competitive season, will be participating in exhibitions during the competition.

 
ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon men's water polo team enters this weekend's 2024 WWPA Men's Championship as the number two seed from the Eastern Division. Concordia University Irvine is hosting the three-day event on Friday, November 22 to Sunday, November 24. The WWPA champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Head coach Zarko Sadikovic's team will face Fresno Pacific, the number three seed from the West, in Friday's quarterfinals at 4 p.m. ET. The winner will face 1W Concordia on Saturday in the semifinals. All of the matches will be played at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center.
 
Gannon has enjoyed a successful campaign in Sadikovic's second season at the helm. The Golden Knights come in at 15-5 and were 2-2 in WWPA action. They have won 10 of their last 12 games, with the two losses coming to Salem. The 15 wins are the most since the 2019 team finished at 18-4.
 
The 2024 team showcases six players with 20-or-more goals, led by a pair of newcomers. Nikiforos Liantziris (Athens, Greece), a freshman from Athens, Greece, leads the way with 90 points on 49 goals and 41 assists. Petar Markovic (Belgrade, Serbia), a sophomore from Belgrade, Serbia, has a team-high 63 goals and 14 assists for 77 points. Both were named to the All-WWPA first team announced on Wednesday, with Liantziris also named to the All-Defensive and All-Freshman Teams.
 
Alexandros Kotskar (Voula, Greece/Athinaiki Agogh) adds 52 goals and 17 assists for 69 points. The junior from Voula, Greece has been the team's leading scorer the last two years and was a 2023 A first team All-WWPA selection and 2023 ACWPC Division II First Team All-American last year after scoring a school record 99 goals, adding 30 assists for 129 points. He has 221 career goals. He was named to the 2024 All-WWPA second team.
 
Victor Volant (Fuveau, France), a freshman from Fuveau, France is another of the talented newcomers who has a bright future and has emerged as the season progressed. He has contributed 29 goals and 19 assists for 48 points. Freshman Rajmund Farsang (Eger, Hungary) (24 goals-15 assists-39 points), a native of Hungary, and senior Ben Fribourg (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) (23 goals-16 assists-39 points) are other scoring threats.
 
Senior Alvaro Marco (Madrid, Spain/IES Ortega y Gasset) has been a standout in goal for four years. He is now a two-time All-WWPA honorable mention selection. Marco has a 12-5 record and 10.54 GAA along with .502 save percentage.
 
Gannon joined the WWPA for men's water polo a year ago and made its first appearance at the WWPA Championships. The Golden Knights finished fifth a year ago. They dropped a 15-12 decision to Concordia in the quarterfinals, but then defeated Fresno Pacific 16-14 and in the fifth-place match handed local rival Mercyhurst a 22-17 defeat.
 
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Players Mentioned

Ben Fribourg

#5 Ben Fribourg

A
6' 0"
Senior
Alexandros Kotskar

#10 Alexandros Kotskar

A
6' 0"
Junior
Alvaro Marco

#1 Alvaro Marco

GK
5' 10"
Senior
Rajmund Farsang

#4 Rajmund Farsang

U
6' 0"
Freshman
Petar Markovic

#6 Petar Markovic

C
6' 3"
Sophomore
Nikiforos Liantziris

#9 Nikiforos Liantziris

D
5' 11"
Freshman
Victor Volant

#12 Victor Volant

U
6' 5"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Ben Fribourg

#5 Ben Fribourg

6' 0"
Senior
A
Alexandros Kotskar

#10 Alexandros Kotskar

6' 0"
Junior
A
Alvaro Marco

#1 Alvaro Marco

5' 10"
Senior
GK
Rajmund Farsang

#4 Rajmund Farsang

6' 0"
Freshman
U
Petar Markovic

#6 Petar Markovic

6' 3"
Sophomore
C
Nikiforos Liantziris

#9 Nikiforos Liantziris

5' 11"
Freshman
D
Victor Volant

#12 Victor Volant

6' 5"
Freshman
U