DAVIS, Calif. – UC Davis men’s water polo head coach Daniel Leyson and his staff have brought in ten new players set to join the Aggies for the upcoming 2025 season, with five recruits coming from California, one from Arizona, one from the East Coast, and three from international waters.
“We are excited about this year’s recruiting class!” said Coach Leyson. “I would like to thank Assistant Coach Nick Alden for his important contributions in making such a great class come to fruition. Some of these players will step in and play right away, filling immediate needs we have, and some will need some time to adjust to the Division 1 level.”
“All have bright futures. This recruiting class also shows our commitment to finding players from areas not known to be water polo hotspots. We will turn over every stone to find the right people for our program! Go Ags!”
Mateo Ruano (Sacramento, Calif./American River College)
Transferring to UC Davis following his freshman season at American River College, Ruano looks to build off of a stellar 2024 campaign with the Beavers, scoring 110 goals and adding 37 assists for a total of 147 points.
In last year’s Aggie Roundup, Ruano found himself on the All-Tournament team after scoring 11 goals across three contests. Against San Joaquin Delta on September 18, he had a season-high 13 points with 10 goals and three assists. He also had double-digit points on October 11, scoring eight goals and three assists versus Mt. San Antonio. Overall, Ruano had three or more goals 19 separate times, including having five or more goals in 13 different games.
Daniel Leyson on Ruano:
“Mati arrives at our program from American River Junior College, where he was an outstanding player for one year. Mati is a strong, physical player who we expect to play significant minutes in his first year. He can play all positions when needed and will be a match-up defender for us.”
Oriol Viñas (Spain/Club Natació Barcelona)
Hailing from Spain and C.N. Barcelona, Viñas comes to the Aggies after spending last season competing in both the European Aquatics Champions League and Euro Cup, the first and second-tier water polo competitions in Europe.
No stranger to high-level competition, Viñas previously won a juvenile gold medal for C.N. Barcelona in the 2021-22 Spanish Junior Men’s Water Polo Championship in the Royal Spanish Swimming Federation, the governing body for all aquatics competition in Spain.
Leyson on Viñas:
“Oriol is a smart, fast attacking player who can also score goals. He comes from CN Barcelona and has experience training and playing with Spanish National Teams. We expect Oriol to contribute significantly to all facets of the game, including leadership, as soon as he arrives.”
Luka Palavra (Croatia/HAVK Mladost)
Coming to the Aggies from Croatia, Palavra competes for HAVK Mladost, one of the top clubs in the Croatian water polo scene. Over the last four years, Palavra has gone from starting on the Cadet Team and working his way up to the Junior Team.
This past season, Palavra has also competed with the Delfin Water Polo Club, scoring five goals across seven contests, including two scores in a game versus Siscia.
Daniel Leyson on Palavra:
“Luka comes from the Mladost Club in Zagreb, one of the top clubs in Europe, and has spent time training with the Croatian National Team. He will play center and defender, and his size and strength will create immediate challenges for opponents. More importantly, Luka has the right attitude and work ethic to embody our core values and to be really successful in our program.”
Jacob Carrera (San Anselmo, Calif./Archie Williams HS)
Hailing from San Anselmo in Marin County, Carrera joins the Aggies after a successful high school career at Archie Williams. Last year, during his senior season, Carrera led the Peregrine Falcons with 41 goals and 63 assists for a total of 104 points, also adding 30 steals.
His high level of play has also led to a number of accomplishments for Carrera throughout his career, including winning the Marin County Athletic League water polo title as a freshman in 2021 and participating in the 18U North Irvine Water Polo Club.
Coach Leyson on Carrera:
“As a coach’s son, Jacob has been exposed to high-level water polo games his entire life. Jacob brings that experience and knowledge to the right side of the pool to our program. He is a crafty passer who has good vision and can also score timely goals.”
Jaden Joemtree (Arcadia, Calif./Arcadia High School)
Coming to UC Davis from the Arcadia Apaches in Southern California, Joemtree joins the program after helping to lead his team to back-to-back first-place league finishes in his junior and senior seasons.
Joining the varsity team as a freshman, Joemtree and his teammates transformed their team from a Division Four club into a Division One powerhouse in just four years, with Joemtree’s offensive prowess leading the way. In his four years of playing, Joemtree finished his career as a top ten goal scorer in the California Interscholastic Federation’s history.
Leyson on Joemtree:
“Jaden scored more than 600 goals in his high school career. He has a knack for shooting and will always be a dangerous threat from the outside for any opponent we face. But he is also unselfish and plays with poise and control when holding the ball. He also brings U.S. National Team experience to our team. We are looking forward to watching him develop!”
Lyle Weitz (Vancouver, B.C./Pacific Storm Water Polo)
Weitz joins the Aggies all the way from British Columbia, Canada, where he has spent the last three years playing primarily for the Pacific Storm Water Polo Club in Vancouver.
In 26 games with Pacific Storm in the 2022-23 season, Weitz scored 48 goals, including eight hat tricks and a season-high four goals against the Mavericks Red on May 26.
Daniel Leyson on Weitz:
“Lyle joins our team from Vancouver, Canada, and has experience playing with the Canadian National Team. He is a strong player who will help us as a utility/center defender. Lyle brings a level of seriousness, a strong work ethic, and a total team attitude that will mesh well with our team culture. We have high hopes for him and expect him to develop into a great Division 1 player.”
Max Prokhin (Brooklyn, N.Y./Y Pro Water Polo Club)
Joining the Y Pro Water Polo Club in September of 2015, Prokhin currently serves as the club’s team captain, consistently leading his squad in goals and points across tournament play. His high level of play also led Prokhin to be selected for the 2024 USA Water Polo Youth National Team last August.
Prokhin’s father, Yevgeniy, is the founder and head coach of Y Pro Water Polo. A native of Kazakhstan, Yevgeniy has played in many top water polo leagues, including participating in the 2000 Summer Olympics for the Kazakhstan National Team.
Coach Leyson on Prokhin:
“Max brings high-level experience to the Aggies, including international play with the U.S. (Youth) National Team and many years of club water polo on the East Coast. He is also a coach’s son, so he has seen a lot of water polo games and plays with the experience of an older player. He shoots the ball hard and has the size and strength to contribute right away if the need arises.”
Oliver Wilmink (Paradise Valley, Ariz./Phoenix Country Day HS)
A multi-sport athlete from the Phoenix area, Wilmink participated on both the water polo and swimming teams for the Eagles, finishing his swimming career as the 30th-ranked athlete in the Grand Canyon state.
Last November, in the 2024 Arizona Interscholastic Association Division III Championships, Wilmink put his swimming skills on display, placing first in the 500m free swimming competition.
Leyson on Wilmink:
“Oliver is from Phoenix, Arizona, and has trained with Team Vegas. Oliver is big, strong, and fast. We expect him to help us at the center defender position and to spend a lot of time in front of the cage at both ends of the pool. While he is likely to redshirt, I expect him to be ready to play in Fall 2026. He has a bright future.”
William McKeon (Danville, Calif./West Valley College)
A 25-game starter for the West Valley Vikings at the goalkeeper position in 2024, McKeon comes to the Aggies with a wealth of experience playing against Division I competitors.
With a 20-5 record during his freshman season, McKeon posted a number of top-notch performances, including shutouts against Cabrillo on Oct. 12 and Nov. 8, holding UC Merced to only one score on Sept. 18, and helping the Vikings cruise to a 24-2 win over San Mateo on Oct. 2. He also contributed a season-high 14 saves three separate times, including in the Aggie Round Up against American River College on Sept. 14, at home against Cuesta on Sept. 20, and against American River College again on Nov. 16. Overall, he had double digit saves in eight games.
Daniel Leyson on McKeon:
“Will joins us from West Valley College, where he was the starting goalie last year. He brings maturity and steadiness to the goalkeeper position for us. We expect him to really push all our goalkeepers once he gets up to speed with our system of play.”
Cassius Wolf (Soquel, Calif./Soquel HS)
Joining UC Davis from Soquel, Wolf was a talented multi-sport athlete for the last three years with the Knights, playing on both the water polo and basketball teams.
As a senior in 2024, Wolf produced a team-high 106 goals for the Knights, coming in as the 59th-best goal scorer in the nation. Among his top performances are a season-high seven goals against Palo Alto on Sept. 14 and Pacific Grove on Oct. 10. Overall, he secured a hat trick in 21 of 27 games while scoring five or more goals ten times.
Coach Leyson on Wolf:
“Cash is a big, strong, fast left-handed center from Watsonville and Soquel High School. He is relatively late to water polo, but is extremely athletic, works hard and has an exciting future ahead of him. He excelled for his club team this summer. We cannot wait to see what he can do in our program.”
The Aggies will look to build off of a ten-win season and Big West Semifinal appearance from a year ago as they gear up for the 2025 season.
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