Davis, Calif. - Coming off a season that saw UC Davis advance to the NCAA Championship semifinal and win a Western Water Polo Association title for the third time in four seasons, Head Coach Daniel Leyson has announced the 2022-23 UC Davis water polo signing class.

The class features seven players from across California who were chosen as much for their ability in the pool as the fact that they'll fit and build upon the culture Leyson has established at UC Davis. That culture has allowed Leyson and his staff the freedom to focus on bringing in good players all over the pool in addition to by positional need.

Leyson sees each of this year's recruits as players capable of elevating the expectations of a program that has done so on a yearly basis.

"These guys put a lot of work in and they come from some of the top programs in the nation," Leyson added. "We're excited about all of them and I think it's going to be a great recruiting class."
 
Frank Laptin - Goalkeeper
Laptin is a Laguna Beach native and will join the Aggies after a four-year career at Laguna Beach High School.

A 6-2, 188-pound goalie, Laguna Beach made an appearance in the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs with Laptin in goal in 2021-22. He was Sunset Conference All-League Second Team in 2020 and 2021 in addition to playing for SET Water Polo Club in the USA Water Polo Association for two years.

He was his team's defensive player of the year in 2018, 2019 and 2021 and team MVP in 2020.

Laptin has also been a USA Water Polo Academic All-American, is a graduate of UC Irvine's Paul Merage Business School Summer Finance program, and a CTE Student Ambassador.

"He's a hardworking, up and coming goalkeeper with a great attitude." Leyson said, "He has the potential to really develop at the next level. He meshes well with the culture of our team and he'll be a good addition."
 
Waylon Fox - Attacker

Fox joins UC Davis by way of JSerra Catholic and was a four-year varsity athlete for the Lions.

In his senior season, JSerra placed second in the Trinity League with a 4-1 record and made a quarterfinal appearance in the CIF Souther Section Open Division tournament. The Lions were a top-five team in Division I in the ultra-competitive Southern Section throughout the season.

At 6-0, 190-pounds, Fox is a right-handed attacker that plays on the four/five side.

"His strengths are that he's a hard-nosed defender and an extremely hard working player," Leyson said. "He's going to bring some tenacity and toughness for us on that side of the pool and also really promote the counterattack."
 
Brody Crouch - Utility

A three-sport athlete at Campolindo High School in Moraga, Crouch played three years of varsity water polo, swam three years at the varsity level on the swim team and added volleyball his senior year.

Crouch was the MVP of one of the top northern California leagues this past season and he's viewed as a utility player who will contribute to the Aggies in a variety
of ways.

"He can play several positions well, inside or outside, so we will look for him to fill different roles for us," Leyson said.

Brody is the third Crouch sibling to play collegiate water polo with his brother Aidan having played for the United States Naval Academy and his older sister Zoe a junior at Indiana.
 
Will Stryker - Attacker

Styrker will join his older brother, Max, on the Aggies this season.

He was a three-year varsity swimmer at Miramonte High School in addition to two years of varsity water polo. He also played at the varsity level his freshman and sophomore seasons at Acalanes High School.

"He's a smart, hard-working, gritty player who can shoot the ball well and is not afraid of high-pressure situations," Leyson said.

Last season, Stryker helped lead Miramonte to the North Coast Section Open Division Championship game and led Miramonte in assists and drawn exclusions.

He was a team captain and North Coast Section First Team as a senior, a three-time North Coast Section Scholar Athlete and a USA Water Polo Academic All-American.
 
Leo Giessmann - Utility

Giessmann was a four-year varsity athlete in both water polo and swimming, spending his first two years of high school at Northwood High School and the last two at Orange Lutheran.

He helped Orange Lutheran to a third-place finish in the Trinity League in the fall and as a junior, broke the school 100 meter breastroke record. Coming from as competitive an area for water polo as he is, Leyson sees Giessmann coming into his own as he joins the Aggies.

"He has a lot of potential." Leyson said. He can defend, shoot well and he has size and speed. I think he can fill in at  a lot of different positions depending on our needs."
 
Matt Morgan - Utility

Morgan brings with him a wealth of national team experience that will translate immediately to the Division 1 environment.

A four-year player for Huntington Beach High School, Morgan played on the USA Water Polo Cadet National Team in 2019 and went to the USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program National Championships in 2019 and 2020. He was a USAWP Junior Olympics First Team All-American in 2018 and earned USAWP Outstanding All-American from 2020 to 2022. His USAWP Junior Olympics teams finished first in 2016 and 2018, second in 2017 and 2021, and third in 2019.

"Matt is a very tough defender who sees the game well and shoots the ball hard. He has played in numerous high-level games so he is comfortable in high pressure situations," Leyson added.

He scored 30 goals with 37 assists and 18 steals his senior season with Huntington Beach and was named All-Sunset Conference Second Team. Morgan was most recently named a Student-Athlete of Character by the Orange County Athletic Directors Association.
 
Will Fosselman - Utility

Fosselman spent his first three years of high school at Flintridge Prep in La Canada before playing his senior season at Newport Harbor, competing in water polo and swimming all four years.

He helped Newport Harbor to the CIF Southern Section Open Division Championship in 2021, scoring 40 goals with 22 steals.

Fosselman's move to Davis reunites him with Leyson after the latter coached him at the club level at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center.

"Will makes up for what he lacks in size with his work ethic, drive, discipline, and desire. He's going to help move the program forward," Leyson shared.

Fosselman also brings national team experience, having played on the 2018 USAWP Development Team and the 2019 USAWP Cadet National Team.