By Gabriella Kelly – Spear Reporter | Junior utility Samu Biros scoring one of five goals against Cal. (Photo courtesy of SJSU Athletics)
San Jose State men’s water polo (1-1, 0-0 WCC) lost 14-10 to the University of California, Berkeley (4-0, 0-0 MPSF) at the 2026 Aggies Roundup in Davis, California.
The Spartans’ first game on Saturday was a 14-8 win over Harvard, but they were unable to go undefeated in the roundup.
“Our guys showed where we are right now and what we need to work on,” SJSU head coach Gabor Sarusi said.
SJSU had a late push in the fourth quarter, outscoring Cal 3-2, including a goal by junior Mateja Cetkovic at 38 seconds to make it 12-9.
Cal maintained control throughout, starting with an early 2-0 lead before sophomore utility Sam Keightley scored SJSU’s first goal.
Sarusi commented on the team’s performance after the match.
“It’s good to see that the intensity was there. I think it was a good start to our season,” Sarusi said.
Along with Keightley, junior utility Samu Biros led the Spartans offensively by scoring 5 goals throughout the game. Keightley followed with 2.
Biros capitalized on a 6-on-5 power play after a penalty committed by Cal on sophomore defender Milan Sumich.
Sarusi commented on the team’s performance after the match.
“It’s good to see that the intensity was there. I think it was a good start to our season,” Sarusi said.
Despite the late pressure from the Spartans, it was not enough to overcome the Bears’ early lead.
The last time SJSU faced Cal was a close game, ending with the Bears winning 12-10 in September 2025.
Cal has maintained a winning streak against SJSU in the past several years, even going back to their matchup in 2022, when the Bears won 17-10.
Next up, the Spartans will play American River College at 5 p.m. at the Schall Aquatics Center in Davis, California.
