2025 All-WWPA teams announced, Concordia sweeps individual awards
All-WWPA Teams (PDF)
The 2025 Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) All-Conference Teams have been released ahead of the WWPA Men's Championship, Nov. 21-23 at SPIRE Aquatics Center in Geneva, Ohio.
A total of twenty-nine different student-athletes were honored for their regular season performances via a conference-wide vote by member head coaches.
Concordia goalkeeper Pablo de Souza was voted WWPA Player of the Year after anchoring the Golden Eagles to their second-straight West Region title. De Souza, who broke the single-season school record for saves on Oct. 8, led the conference in saves (310), save percentage (.512) and goals-against average (10.97).
He was named WWPA Defensive Player of the Week four times in 2025. He made a season-high 21 saves against Chapman (Sept. 13) and stopped 17 shots in a critical conference matchup against Biola (Oct. 31). In conference play, de Souza allowed only 6.77 goals per game, which is over four goals less than any other goalkeeper.
A junior from São Paulo, Brazil, de Souza joins Konstantinos Koulouris as the only other Golden Eagle to be named Player of the Year in CUI history. He is the first goalkeeper to earn WWPA Player of the Year since the 2020-21 season (Gabe Thorne, California Baptist).
CUI freshman Hugo Wouters took home WWPA Newcomer of the Year and All-WWPA First Team honors following a first-year campaign that saw him finish in the WWPA top 10 in goals (6th, 62), assists (5th, 39) and points (7th, 101). He ranked third in total steals with 41.
The lefty from the Netherlands earned WWPA Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 7 after logging 30 points over six games at the Gary Troyer Tournament. He had six performances of four goals or more and registered five goals three times.
Wouters and teammate Dimitrios Koritsas became the first freshmen to earn All-WWPA First Team since 2018 (Blazo Mitrovic, Loyola Marymount). They were both named WWPA All-Freshman as well.
CUI's Justin Johnson earned his first WWPA Coach of the Year award. The third-year head coach has led the Eagles to back-to-back appearances in the WWPA title match, and now, back-to-back West Region titles. After starting WWPA play with a loss to Biola, Johnson guided the Golden Eagles to five straight conference wins to earn a quarterfinal bye for the postseason tournament. At 19-12, CUI has the best overall record in the conference.
Five different institutions are represented on the All-WWPA First Team.
Salem's Marko Zivojinovic earned his third consecutive first-team nod after leading the WWPA in assists (62) and slotting in second in goals (91) and points (153). His 32 total points during conference play were most in the WWPA. The senior from Belgrade, Serbia logged 11 matches with seven points or more, including a five-goal, seven-assist performance against McKendree on Oct. 26.
Gannon's all-time leading scorer returns to the All-WWPA First Team. Alexandros Kotskar, a 2023 first-team selection, finished in the WWPA top-three in goals (3rd, 87), points (4th, 113) and goals-per-game (2nd, 4.0). He was named WWPA Player of the Week twice, including when he scored 10 times in a non-conference game against Salem (Sept. 21).
McKendree's Armand Le Goff becomes the first Bearcat men's player in program history to earn All-WWPA First Team honors. The Reims, France product earned two WWPA Offensive Player of the Week awards in his first season at McKendree. Le Goff, a southpaw jack-of-all-trades, was second in points-per-game (5.3), third in points (116) and goals per game (3.5), fourth in goals (78) and field blocks (18), and sixth in assists (38).
Biola's Gavin McKenzie earned First Team honors after being named Honorable Mention in 2023. McKenzie led the Eagles in goals (47) and drawn exclusions (28) and finished off the regular season with a WWPA Offensive Player of the Week award.
Koritsas's career in Irvine started with a bang as the attacker earned the first WWPA Offensive Player of the Week award following his opening weekend of collegiate water polo. Koritsas led the WWPA in field blocks (22) and was top 10 in goals (5th 65), assists (10th, 35) and points (8th, 100).
CUI led all conference programs with six total selections, followed by Gannon and Biola's five apiece.
Fresno Pacific's Chase Hammes was named Second Team for the second year in a row and was joined by teammate Forrest Gray. McKendree's Yannick Robertson took home All-WWPA Second Team honors for the third straight season.
Salem's Nandor Voros was the only player to appear on three teams during Wednesday's release after taking home Honorable Mention, All-Defensive Team, and All-Freshman Team honors.
Andrew Jones (Second Team) and Christian Soto (Freshman Team) became UC Merced's first-ever All-WWPA selections.
2025 WWPA Men's All-Conference Team (PDF)
Player of the Year: Pablo de Souza, Jr., Concordia
Newcomer of the Year: Hugo Wouters, Fr., Concordia
Coach of the Year: Justin Johnson, Concordia
First Team
Marko Zivojinovic, Salem
Hugo Wouters, Concordia
Alexandros Kotskar, Gannon
Armand Le Goff, McKendree
Gavin McKenzie, Biola
Dimitrios Koritsas, Concordia
Pablo de Souza, Concordia
Second Team
Forrest Gray, Fresno Pacific
Danko Kesic, Salem
Victor Volant, Gannon
Andrew Jones, UC Merced
Yannick Robertson, McKendree
Caleb Hernandez, Biola
Bator Mohacsi, Gannon
Honorable Mention
Kai Young, Concordia
Nandor Voros, Salem
Medun Arsovic, Salem
Petar Markovic, Gannon
Nikiforos Liantziris, Gannon
Alexandros Prokopis, McKendree
Chase Hammes, Fresno Pacific
Joshua Dachenhausen, Biola
All-Defensive Team
Victor Volant, Gannon
Nandor Voros, Salem
Adam LaVoy, Biola
Porter Rosenlof, Concordia
Tristan Fox, Fresno Pacific
Riccardo Vettore, McKendree
Pablo de Souza, Concordia
All-Freshman Team
Noah Ryznar, Biola
Hugo Wouters, Concordia
Nandor Voros, Salem
Dimitrios Koritsas, Concordia
Alexandros Prokopis, McKendree
Christian Soto, UC Merced
Derek Maddox, Concordia