LOS ANGELES -- Fresno State's Natalie Benson is the 2022 Golden Coast Conference Coach of the Year, as voted on the league's eight coaches following the conclusion of the annual GCC championships. It is Benson's second straight GCC Coach of the Year honor.
"It's an honor to be named GCC Coach of the Year," Benson said, "and want to share this honor with my staff. This is a team effort, and our team would not have been in this position without the hard work and passion of my assistants, Sandra Kiss and Tamara Perea. I'm so lucky to have had such a tremendous staff by my side throughout the season."
In just five years of competition, Fresno State women's water polo earned back-to-back Golden Coast Conference championships - both regular season and tournament - as they earned the GCC tournament title and the league's automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA tournament.
It has been a quick rise to the top behind Benson's leadership. In just their fourth full season of competition, the Bulldogs find themselves at the top of the GCC thanks to Benson. The Bulldogs will head to the National Collegaite Women's Water Polo Championships winners of 16 straight games and 19-7 overall record. They went unbeaten in conference play, captured the top-seed in the GCC tournament, and claimed their second straight tournament title with wins over California Baptist, San Diego State and LMU in the title game.
They are led by GCC Player of the Year Emily Nicholson and GCC Newcomer of the Year Fanni Muzsnay. They both were first-team All-GCC selections. Joining them are second-team All-GCC goalie Paula Nieto Jasny and honorable mention selection Daphne Guevremont. Muzsnay and teammate Brooke Ochoa are GCC All-Freshmen selections. Nieto Jasny was named the GCC tournament MVP and was joined on the All-Tournament team by Muzsnay and fellow-senior Yesenia Preciado.
In 2021, Fresno State reached the top of the conference. They finished the regular season with an overall record of 13-6 (6-1 GCC) and took a piece of their first GCC regular season championship. Fresno State earned the top-seed in the GCC tournament and earned wins over No. 4 seed California Baptist (18-10) and No. 2 San Diego State (14-10) to earn the league's tournament title. They had five players earn postseason honors, including first-team selections Guevremont and Nicholson.