2026 brings a new season, yet the same story for USC men’s water polo: another offseason tainted by a heartbreaking loss in the NCAA Championship match. 

In 2025, the Trojans showed promise throughout the season, securing a 23-4 overall record, going 4-2 in MPSF conference play and clinching their fourth consecutive conference title heading into the NCAA Tournament. 

Yet again, however, USC fell just short of its championship dreams, suffering an 11-10 last-second loss to its rival UCLA — once again finishing as the runner-up.

This tune is all too familiar for USC fans, as the Trojans have lost in the championship game in five out of the last six years, all under Head Coach Marko Pintaric, and have not claimed the title since 2018. 

Despite this, the returning talent of the 2026 roster will look to reverse the hardships the previous teams endured. USC will look to capture its fifth straight MPSF conference title, hoping to prove that it can once again reclaim its spot at the top of men’s water polo. 

Returning stars ready to dive back in 

The headliner of the Trojan talent returning in 2026 is senior driver Robert López Duart, who was a Cutino Award finalist and an All-American First Team honoree, thanks to his team-leading 66 goals. The three-time All-American scored in each of the Trojans’ matchups, tallying 27 assists and 23 steals to his already-impressive goal total. 

Another key returner for the Trojans is sophomore 2-meter Strahinja Krstic, who will look to build off the success of his freshman season. Krstic was named to the All-American Second Team and honored as the MPSF Newcomer of the Year following his 49 goals and 13 steals during the 2025 campaign. 

Krstic’s team-leading 65 drawn exclusions show he is a force to be reckoned with near the net, and he will look to replicate his success in 2026. 

The returning talent for USC is on all ends of the pool, including in front of the net with redshirt junior goalie Charles Mills. The All-American was a wall for the Trojans in 2025, recording 177 saves with a .501 save percentage, earning himself Third Team honors and the MPSF Tournament MVP. The 2026 team captain will bring valuable veteran experience to the roster while protecting the net. 

New additions look to replace lost production

While the Trojans have key returning talents in 2026, they will also welcome new teammates to fill the holes left by the departure of a couple of star players. 

USC lost a Cutino Award Finalist and First-Team All-American with the exit of driver Mihailo Vukazić. In his only season with the Trojans, Vukazić recorded 53 goals, 34 assists and 20 steals, undoubtedly proving to be one of the best players on the squad. 

On top of that, USC lost utility Stefan Brankovic following a 2025 season where he led the team in assists with 49 and tacked on 29 goals — enough to earn him an All-American Honorable Mention.

To replace the production of these players, the Trojans brought in seven new players, with six true freshmen and one transfer portal addition. 

Sophomore driver Apostolos Georgaras is the lone transfer portal addition from the University of the Pacific who earned a plethora of awards in his freshman season, including Third Team All-American, All-West Coast Conference First Team and WCC Freshman of the Year. Georgaras led the Tigers in goals at 73, along with steals and assists at 37 and 20, respectively. 

While he has big shoes to fill, coming off a dominant true freshman season, Georgaras could prove to be the missing piece to set USC over the hump and claim the NCAA Championship in 2026. 

Sink or swim for USC in 2026 

While Pintaric and company will attempt to end their championship drought this season, their path to claiming their 11th national championship will not be easy. The Trojans are set to face five opponents who finished the 2025 season ranked in the top 10: UCLA, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Long Beach State University and Pepperdine University. 

Two of the biggest matchups of the year come against crosstown rival UCLA. USC hosts the Bruins on Oct. 17 with revenge on its mind, before traveling to play them on Nov. 14 to close the regular season.

Another pair of games to highlight are the Oct. 3 and Nov. 1 matchups against Cal. The Golden Bears had the Trojans’ number last season until the end, beating them twice before USC finally got the better of them in their third face-off. 

The Trojans will begin their 2026 campaign on Aug. 28 for the first match of the Triton Invitational in La Jolla against Saint Mary’s College.