ERIE, Pa. – Victor Volant (Fuveau, France/Font d'Aurumy) scored a career-high seven goals as the Gannon men's water polo team rallied from an early deficit to defeat Salem, 22-18, in the opening game of the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Erie Classic on Friday evening at Hallman Aquatics Center.
The Golden Knights improved to 10-9 overall and 1-2 in WWPA play while Salem fell to 9-12 overall and 2-1 in conference action. Gannon also avenged a 20-17 loss to the Tigers on October 23 in Bridgeport, West Virginia.
The victory keeps Gannon in contention for the WWPA East's No. 1 seed entering the final weekend of conference play. Provided all three teams earn victories over Mercyhurst, the Golden Knights would need to defeat McKendree and have McKendree defeat Salem to force a three-way tie at 2-2. The conference's tiebreaker procedures could then require a commissioner's blind draw to determine seeding.
Salem jumped out to a 5-3 lead after the opening eight minutes and extended its advantage to 7-4 early in the second quarter. The Golden Knights responded with a 6-1 run to close the half, highlighted by goals from
Rajmund Farsang (Eger, Hungary/Neumann Janos Gimnazium),
Petar Markovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Sports High School of Belgrade), Volant,
Michael McGarry (Erie, Pa./McDowell) and
Giacomo Peretti (Verona, Italy/Liceo G. Fracastoro), to take a 10-8 lead into the break.
Gannon continued to build momentum in the third quarter, erupting for eight goals to extend its advantage to 18-12. Volant scored twice during the period, while
Dillon Shaw (Salt Lake City, Utah/Skyline) added two goals of his own. Farsang capped the offensive surge with a goal in the final second of the quarter.
The Tigers attempted to mount a comeback in the final eight minutes, trimming Gannon's lead to 20-18 with 2:08 remaining. However,
Nikita Rudoi (Sabadel, Spain/Jaume Viladoms) answered just 16 seconds later before Volant put the finishing touches on the victory with his seventh goal in the final 23 seconds.
THE GAME FACTS
Score: Gannon 22, Salem 18
Records: Gannon (10-9, 1-2 WWPA), Salem (9-12, 2-1 WWPA)
Location: Hallman Aquatics Center – Erie, Pa.
Date: Friday, November 6, 2026
THE KNIGHT CAP
- Career Night for Volant: Victor Volant (Fuveau, France/Font d'Aurumy) powered the Golden Knights' offense with a career-high seven goals on eight shots, adding one assist for a game-high eight points. He also contributed two steals and one field block.
- Second-Quarter Comeback: Trailing 7-4 early in the second quarter, Gannon closed the half on a 6-1 run to take a 10-8 advantage into the break. The Golden Knights outscored the Tigers 7-3 during the period.
- Dominant Third Quarter: Gannon continued its offensive momentum with eight goals in the third quarter, outscoring Salem 8-4 to extend its advantage to 18-12 entering the final period.
- Balanced Offensive Attack: Ten Golden Knights found the back of the net. Rajmund Farsang (Eger, Hungary/Neumann Janos Gimnazium) and Dillon Shaw (Salt Lake City, Utah/Skyline) each recorded hat tricks, while Petar Markovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Sports High School of Belgrade), Nikiforos Liantziris (Athens, Greece/1o EPAL Zografou) and Michael McGarry (Erie, Pa./McDowell) added two goals apiece.
- Playmaking Contributions: Liantziris finished with two goals and a game-high five assists for seven points, while Farsang contributed three goals and four assists for seven points of his own. Giacomo Peretti (Verona, Italy/Liceo G. Fracastoro) chipped in one goal and three assists.
- Strong in the Cage: Goalkeeper Bator Mohacsi (Budapest, Hungary/ELTE Apáczai Csere János Gyakorló Gimnázium és Kollégium) played all 32 minutes and recorded 11 saves to help the Golden Knights secure the four-goal victory.
- Efficient Offense: Gannon scored 22 goals on 36 shots while registering 20 assists. The Golden Knights also collected nine steals.
- Finishing Strong: Salem outscored Gannon 6-4 in the final quarter, but the Golden Knights maintained their advantage. Nikita Rudoi (Sabadel, Spain/Jaume Viladoms) scored with 1:52 remaining before Volant capped the victory with his seventh goal in the final 23 seconds.
- Avenging an Earlier Defeat: The Golden Knights earned redemption after suffering a 20-17 setback to Salem on October 23 in Bridgeport, West Virginia. The victory also handed the Tigers their first WWPA loss of the season.
Up Next
Gannon continues play at the WWPA Erie Classic on Saturday, November 7, when the Golden Knights host crosstown rival Mercyhurst for Senior Day at Hallman Aquatics Center. The contest is scheduled to begin at 10:45 a.m. Gannon will honor its senior class prior to the match.
This story was written using the support of AI.
