SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Santa Clara University men's water polo program will welcome eight new student-athletes to the roster for the 2025 season. The incoming class features a strong mix of high-level high school, club, and international experience across multiple positions.
 
"We are thrilled to welcome this incoming class of freshmen to the Santa Clara men's water polo program," said head coach Keith Wilbur. "This group contains a great combination of experience, work ethic, and character. They bring with them a wide variety of backgrounds, whether they are from strong high school and club programs, or have played at high levels internationally."
 
Among the newcomers is Ashton Brown, a 6-foot-4 center from Sydney and one of the country's top youth players. Brown brings a decorated background to the program. A product of St. Augustine's College and the Sydney University Water Polo Club, he is a three-time national champion at the club level and represented Australia at both the 2022 FINA U16 and 2024 FINA U18 World Championships. He trained with the senior national team in preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympics and was the top scorer in multiple national title runs. Brown captained his high school team and was named MVP every year from 2017–24.
 
Jamie de Zwart, a 6-foot-7 utility player from League City, Texas, helped lead Clear Creek High School to a perfect 32-0-1 season and a 2024 District 11-6A UIL state championship. He was named state MVP and earned multiple All-District and All-Region honors. De Zwart also competed at the 2024 Junior Olympics and was part of the 2023 USA Olympic Development Program National and Regional Team (Southwest Zone). He carries a 4.14 GPA with AP and honors coursework.
 
Beck Early, a 5-foot-10 attacker from Newport Beach, Calif., competed for JSerra Catholic High School, helping the team to three straight Trinity League titles, a 2023 CIF-SS Open Division championship, and three consecutive CIF SoCal Division I Regional championships. He earned second team All-Trinity League and third team All-CIF-SS Open Division honors in 2024. Early also took home second and third place finishes at the Junior Olympics in the 16U and 18U divisions.
 
Dylan Hazen joins the Broncos from Mater Dei High School in Huntington Beach, Calif. A 6-foot, 190-pound attacker, Hazen was a first team All-Trinity League selection and earned Open Division third team All-CIF honors. He was a team captain as a senior and a four-time recipient of the Outstanding Academic Award. At the club level, Hazen is a Junior Olympics champion in both the Classic and Gold divisions, a member of the U20 Canadian National Team, and a three-time USA Water Polo Academic All-American.
 
Ryland Pierce, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound goalie from College Park High School in Pleasant Hill, Calif., was a two-time Diablo Athletic League MVP Goalie and a first team All-North Coast Section selection. He helped his club team win a bronze medal at the 2024 Junior Olympics.
 
Mikhail Popov, Pierce's high school teammate, is a 6-foot, 195-pound attacker who played four years on the College Park varsity squad. Popov set school records in goals, steals, and exclusions drawn, was a three-time first team All-Diablo Athletic League honoree, a two-time team MVP, and earned All-North Coast Section first team honors in 2024. He won silver at the 2024 ODP National Championship and earned a bronze medal at the 2024 Junior Olympics.
 
Imme van der Schaaf, an attacker from Veldhoven, Netherlands, brings international experience to the class. Van der Schaaf represented the Netherlands at the U18 World Championship (2022), U17 European Championship (2023), and U19 European Championship (2024). He led the Dutch U17 league in scoring in 2022–23 and helped his team to a second-place national finish.
 
Hank Woodman, a 6-foot-2 utility player from Winnetka, Ill., is a two-time Illinois state champion from New Trier Township High School. He was named Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 and Team MVP in 2024. A four-time USA Water Polo Academic All-American and team captain, Woodman trained in Greece (2022), Hungary (2023), and Serbia (2024), and helped SoCal Black to a fifth-place finish at the 2024 Junior Olympics.
 
"We believe this group has the potential to make an immediate impact on our program," Wilbur said. "They are stepping into a competitive environment and are ready to contribute from day one as we continue building toward our goal of winning the WCC."