SAN BRUNO, Calif. — Santa Clara University men's water polo sophomore utility man Riccardo De Simon was named Tuesday the KAP7 West Coast Conference Player of the Week after scoring 13 goals in four games last weekend at the prestigious Overnght MPSF Invitational in Los Angeles.
 
De Simon posted four multi-goal performances in four games, including a career-high six goals on Saturday to beat Redlands. He scored three times on Friday in the tournament opener versus No. 5 Stanford, scored two against No. 17 UC Santa Barbara Sunday to help the Broncos beat the Gauchos for the first time in program history, and he scored two more on Saturday versus No. 15 California Baptist.
 
The sophomore from Bologna, Italy, grabbed 11 steals and dished six assists over the three-day tournament. He was a perfect 10-for-10 in sprint victories during the weekend, and he also drew nine exclusions and recorded six field blocks.
 
De Simon's award is the first weekly award this season for Santa Clara. De Simon was named to the WCC Preseason Team on Aug. 22 and earned three WCC Newcomer of the Week awards as a freshman in 2024.
 
De Simon and the Broncos play their first official home game of the season at 1 p.m. Saturday versus No. 9 UC Davis, opening a four-game home stand. Fans can purchase tickets and find all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.