Men's Water Polo | 8/27/2026 12:05:00 PM
Vista, Calif. – The Gannon men's water polo team has been picked to finish fourth in the 2026 Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Preseason Coaches Poll.
The Golden Knights received 19 points in the voting after coming off their highest finish since joining the WWPA. Gannon was also picked fourth in last year's preseason poll before going on to finish third at the WWPA Championship.
2025 WWPA champion Concordia was selected as the preseason favorite with 35 points and five of the seven first-place votes.
Biola received 30 points and one first-place vote to rank second, while Salem collected the remaining first-place vote and 25 points to come in third.
Gannon was fourth with 19 points, followed by McKendree with 15 points and Fresno Pacific with 14. UC Merced rounded out the seven-team poll with nine points.
The 2026 season marks Gannon's fourth year as a member of the WWPA after joining the conference in 2023. The Golden Knights have improved their finish at the WWPA Championship in each of the last two seasons, placing fourth in 2024 before finishing third a year ago.
Gannon finished the 2025 campaign with a 14-10 record, including a 3-1 mark in WWPA competition. The Golden Knights defeated Fresno Pacific 17-12 in the third-place match at the WWPA Championship to secure their best finish since joining the conference.
The Golden Knights return four of their top five goal scorers from last season. Junior
Nikiforos Liantziris (Athens, Greece/1o EPAL Zografou) finished second on the team with 63 goals and led Gannon with 49 assists for 112 points.
Senior
Petar Markovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Sports High School of Belgrade) added 59 goals, while junior
Victor Volant (Fuveau, France/Font d'Aurumy) finished with 57 goals, 37 assists and a team-high 49 steals. Junior
Rajmund Farsang (Eger, Hungary/Neumann Janos Gimnazium) contributed 49 goals, 27 assists and 42 steals.
Liantziris and Markovic earned All-WWPA Honorable Mention honors following the 2025 season, while Volant was named to the All-WWPA Second Team.
Volant also earned a spot on the WWPA All-Defensive Team and was a second-team selection on the WWPA All-Tournament Team.
Gannon also returns junior goalkeeper
Bator Mohacsi (Budapest, Hungary/ELTE Apáczai Csere János Gyakorló Gimnázium és Kollégium), who earned All-WWPA Second Team and WWPA All-Tournament First Team honors a year ago. Mohacsi appeared in 22 games and recorded 239 saves.
Head coach
Zarko Sadikovic enters his fourth season leading the Gannon men's and women's water polo programs.
The Golden Knights have compiled a 42-27 record on the men's side during his first three seasons.
Gannon opens the 2026 season on Saturday, August 29 at the Bruno Classic in Providence, R.I. The Golden Knights face No. 5 Fordham at 3:20 p.m. and LIU at 7:20 p.m. before concluding the opening weekend against Iona at 10:20 a.m. and host No. 20 Brown at 2:20 p.m. on Sunday.
2026 WWPA Preseason Coaches Poll
- Concordia – 35 (5)
- Biola – 30 (1)
- Salem – 25 (1)
- GANNON – 19
- McKendree – 15
- Fresno Pacific – 14
- UC Merced – 9
