Five California women's water polo student-athletes and head coach Coralie Simmons have been selected to participate at the 2025 U20 World Championships next month in Salvador, Brazil.

Junior Julia Bonaguidi (United States) and sophomores Eszter Varro (Hungary) and Holly Dunn (New Zealand) will represent their respective countries after also doing so at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships earlier this month in Singapore. Sophomore Rosalie Hassett (USA) and freshman Despoina Drakotou (Greece) are also scheduled to play while Simmons will serve as an assistant coach for the U.S. team.

Varro helped the Hungarians win the silver medal at Worlds while Bonaguidi and alumna Isabel Williams just missed out on the medal stand after losing to Spain 13-12 in the bronze-medal game. Dunn and New Zealand placed 10th.

Varro and Dunn each played in the U20 World Championships in 2023 with Varro also winning the silver. Bonaguidi, Hassett and Drakotou each has played in the U18 World Championships, with Drakotou winning a silver medal last year.

Simmons has had a long career on the USA Water Polo coaching staff, having served in a variety of roles as both a head coach and an assistant. She's twice been the head coach of the U.S Junior National Team and won the U20 World Championship gold medal in 2015. She's also been an assistant for the senior, junior and youth national teams for the United States.

The 2025 U20 World Championships take place Aug. 10-16 at the Salvador Aquatic Arena.


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