Courtesy: USA Water Polo
Irvine, CA – December 14, 2021 – Once again the USA Men’s and Women’s National Teams will wield a major presence on the European club scene. A year after 19 members of the Men’s National Team capped up for some of the top clubs abroad, a variety of countries have welcomed Team USA athletes for the 2021-22 season. Some athletes have been competing for their clubs since September while others just arrived with more on the way come early 2022. It’s all part of preparation for the 2022 National Team slate which includes the rescheduled 2021 FINA World Championship, now set for Fukuoka, Japan, this May 13-29. The international water polo landscape features a host of athletes with experience at the USA Water Polo and NCAA levels; here’s a closer look at current members of the Team USA pipeline.
Seven members of the men’s roster from the Tokyo Olympics are competing abroad, including Ben Stevenson who moves from Glyfada in Greece to Olympic Nice in France as well as Max Irving who also departs Greece (Olympiacos) for Telimar in Italy. On the heels of becoming the first-ever USA Water Polo men’s athlete to win a Champions League title, Ben Hallock stays with Pro Recco in Italy for a second-straight season.
Wherever Alex Bowen has landed in Europe, his goals have followed. He’ll keep chopping this season with Partizan in Serbia, making the move from Apollon in Greece. Bowen will be joined in Belgrade by Marko Vavic who departs AS Roma after one season for Partizan. Drew Holland stays with Chios in Greece while Dylan Woodhead also stays in Greece but will go from Glyfada to Ethnikos.
Update: Dylan Woodhead hasn’t signed with a club overseas as of yet.
Fellow National Team athletes who were part of the training group leading up to Tokyo also are back in Europe, including Matt Farmer who sticks with Peristeri in Greece and Kacper Langiewicz who keeps a familiar cap with Kaposvary in Hungary. A year ago, Jack Turner trained with Croatian power JUG, but this time around he’ll man the cage for CN Mataro in Spain. Last but not least, lefty Tyler Abramson will make his European debut in the new year, joining CN Posillipo in Italy.
“We are excited to have so many of our athletes competing in Europe with some of the best club teams in the game. High-level competition is very valuable and only makes our team better as we prepare for international competition in 2022. Team USA athletes continuing to play abroad is part of our long-term plan, and I know these athletes, through their play, will continue to become names to know across the water polo world,” said Dejan Udovicic, Men’s National Team Head Coach.
While the lead-up to Tokyo saw the USA Men set up shop abroad, the USA Women hunkered down at their home base in Los Alamitos for extended residential training during the pandemic. It was the first time in years no one from Team USA played abroad, but that changes this season.
Three-time Olympic champ and Team USA Captain Maggie Steffens is in Barcelona for a return engagement with CN Sabadell. She’s joined there by center Brigitta Games, no stranger to Spain as she capped up with CN Mataro in recent years after time in Hungary. Further south, Olympic teammates and Gold Medalists Ashleigh Johnson and Stephania Haralabidis once again will join forces in the Greek league, this time for Ethnikos. The pair had suited up with Vouliagmeni in the 2018-2019 season. The Greek league remains flush with Team USA talent as World Champion Jordan Raney moves from Vouliagmeni to Olympiacos.
“Competing within the various National Leagues and also at the widespread LEN competition gives our athletes an opportunity to expand their minds and skill sets through the exposure to different teammates, training, and style of play. This provides a unique combination for each of them to play professionally while also broadening their minds as they are inserted into a culture that differs from ours. We are thankful for those clubs, and the people within, for welcoming them as one of their own,” said Adam Krikorian, USA Water Polo Women’s National Team Head Coach.
Between competitions in their country-specific leagues alongside the LEN calendar, Team USA athletes will get no shortage of important competition as they prepare for the summer of 2022. Keep an eye on USAWaterPolo.org as we share updates from the athletes abroad throughout next spring.
Men’s National Team Abroad
Ben Stevenson* – Olympic Nice – France
Matt Farmer – Peristeri – Greece
Drew Holland* – Chios – Greece
Dylan Woodhead* – Ethnikos – Greece
Kacper Langiewicz – Kaposvary – Hungary
Max Irving* – Telimar – Italy
Ben Hallock* – Pro Recco – Italy
Tyler Abramson – C.N. Posilipo – Italy
Jack Turner – CN Mataro – Spain
Alex Bowen* – Partizan – Serbia
Marko Vavic* – Partizan – Serbia
*2020 Olympian
Women’s National Team Abroad
Jordan Raney – Olympiacos – Greece
Ashleigh Johnson* – Ethnikos – Greece
Stephania Haralabidis* – Ethnikos – Greece
Brigitta Games – CN Sabadell – Spain
Maggie Steffens* – CN Sabadell – Spain
*2020 Olympian
