LA VERNE, Calif. (Oct. 8, 2025) –
Louis Grandi (Marseille, France / St. Joseph Westcliff University | Riverside City College) of the Whittier College men's water polo team set the single-game assists records in a 20-17 shootout win at the University of La Verne on Wednesday evening.
Grandi put up eight assists in a game in which the Poets needed to pull through shorthanded, particularly down the middle. Grandi had proven himself as a viable role player in Head Coach Preslav Djippov's system this season, but exploded by accounting for half his team's goals on Wednesday. Grandi scored two himself in addition to his record setting night as a facilitator. The Leopards defense had few answers for the Frenchman, whose generosity allowed sophomore attacker
Ethan Klerck (Cape Town, South Africa / South African First Division) to break out with five goals to pace the visitors.
Senior
Jaime Ariste (Madrid, Spain / South Eugene Westcliff University | CIS Endicott International) and sophomore
Zander Montoya (La Verne, Calif. / Damien) followed Klerck with four goals, with Montoya specifically featuring as the Poets' ace from the five-meter penalty area. Ariste had normally taken on the role of facilitator, but asserted himself in a different way with the Poets being forced into adjustments. In a game that featured a combined 37 goals between the two teams, the Poets won the evening by being just one step ahead of the Leopards all game. Even with the incredible offensive output, sophomore goalkeeper
Lorenzo Angelucci (Pescara, Italy / Serie B) still managed to come down with double-digit saves for the Purple & Gold that helped trigger a handful of counter attacks Whittier used with great effectiveness throughout the night.
Coach Djippov and the Poets will play two games on Saturday, Oct. 11, with the first coming against the University of Redlands at 11 a.m.
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