11/15/2018 4:07 PM | Men's Water Polo
Johnny Hooper, Odysseas Masmanidis Earn Fourth All-Conference Award
BERKELEY – Another strong season for the Cal men's water polo team was reflected in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation's posteason honors as six Golden Bears have been named to the all-conference team in a vote of conference coaches.
Senior Johnny Hooper led the way for the Bears, landing a spot on the first team and earning his fourth all-conference nod as a Golden Bear. Fellow senior Vassilis Tzavaras and junior Safak Simsek were named to the second team while senior Odysseas Masmanidis, junior Jordan Hoover and sophomore Nikos Delagrammatikas all earned honorable mention.
Hooper earned a spot among the conference's best despite missing the first nine games of the season due to international play with Team USA. Once back in Berkeley, he wasted no time in re-establishing himself as one of the nation's best players and the native of Los Angeles, Calif. enters the postseason as the MPSF leader in goals per game with 3.67. Even though he only played in 12 games, Hooper finished the regular season with 44 goals, 36 assists, 30 steals and 22 ejections earned.
Simsek and Tzavaras earned postseason honors thanks to standout all-around seasons of their own. A junior from Istanbul, Turkey, Simsek also ranked in the conference's top five in goals per game, ending the regular season with 42 goals in 21 games for a two goals per game average. He also added 46 assists, nine steals, eight blocks and six ejections earned on his way to his first all-conference honor.
Tzavaras received his second all-conference nod thanks to his ability to influence the game in a multitude of ways. The senior from Athens, Greece ranked third on the team with 33 goals but led the Bears with 56 assists, 36 steals and 20 field blocks. He also earned 16 ejections, good for fourth on the team.
Masmanidis also joins elite company with his fourth all-conference honor, rounding out his Cal career with another strong season at two meters. Another native of Athens, Greece, Masmanidis scored 24 goals and led the team with 33 ejections earned this season.
When Masmanidis wasn't in the pool, Hoover stepped in to make a major impact as Cal's man in the middle. The native of nearby Moraga, Calif. earned his first all-conference honor after a season in which he scored 25 goals, grabbed 12 steals, blocked seven shots and drew 25 ejections.
The honor is also Delagrammatikas' first as he continued to establish himself as one of the conference's top defenders. Another native of Athens, Greece, the sophomore scored 23 goals and added 13 steals, 11 blocks, 18 ejections earned and nine assists in his second season in Berkeley.
Stanford's Ben Hallock earned MPSF Player of the Year honors while USC's Hannes Daube was named Newcomer of the Year. Stanford's John Vargas was named MPSF Coach of the Year.
Cal gets the postseason started on Friday when it takes on either Austin College or Penn State Behrend in the first round of the MPSF Championships at USC. Action continues Saturday and Sunday at Uytengsu Aquatics Center. For updated game times, check the schedule page at CalBears.com.
