USA Water Polo hosts match at Fresno State

Wednesday, May 25, 2016
USA Water Polo hosts match at Fresno State
USA takes on Australia in a potential Olympic medal preview

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The "Road to Rio" goes through Fresno on Tuesday night with Team USA taking on Australia in a women's water polo match which could be a preview of the gold medal Olympic game later this summer in Rio.

"I may be a tad bit biased but I believe these are the two best teams in the world playing against each other a couple months before the Olympic games so it doesn't get any better than this," said head coach Adam Krikorian.

Tuesday night's match is especially meaningful for 2004 Olympian and current assistant coach Dan Klatt who grew up in Fresno and went to Clovis West High School.

"This is also a big target area, there is a great aquatics community in Fresno, we are excited to be here. Part of our job is also to inspire going into this Olympic year and I think this an area where we can inspire a lot of kids to get excited about water polo," said Klatt.

The excitement is mutual from Team USA playing tonight at Fresno State.

"It's amazing to come out here, they just added women's water polo to Fresno State, it's incredible to know there is this collegiate pool, I mean this pool is incredible," said captain Maggie Steffens.

Team USA will look to defend the gold and repeat in 2016.

"Pressure is a privilege, we want to be in that spot, that means we are doing something right," said Krikorian.