It has been six long years since Chapman’s water polo head coach Eric Ploessel has taken a team to the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC). But, after placing fourth in the division, Chapman University’s men’s water polo team will be heading to the playoffs on Nov. 17, facing off against top seed Claremont McKenna College.

Ploessel credits this year’s team’s success to be the leadership, a similar trait to his 2017 team that also went to the SCIAC playoffs. Following the examples of the seniors, the current water polo team found their key to success.

“Everybody has little things you got to fix in your game,  and this group did a really good job, especially the returners, of doing something together during the spring,” Ploessel said.

It is clear that a switch was flipped compared to the water polo team from the previous season. Ben Blatt, a sophomore applied human physiology major, has seen a significant change from last year’s team to now, despite having only been on the team for two years. Blatt noted how the freshmen on the team have been able to match the mentality from the returning players.

“Some of them are even pushing more and surpassing what we could accept as the standard for how we hold ourselves. That is definitely a key part in our success this year,” Blatt told The Panther.

But, the change had to come from somewhere, and Blatt believes it to have started with the seniors. Having seen and experienced the difference himself, he also sees the improvement in his teammates, especially while observing as the goalie.

“Our senior class is a really special class that has come through Chapman water polo and definitely were the seeds of how our team character and environment has changed,” Blatt said. “And, with them being leaders now, it falls upon everybody else to continue that standard in that way of playing and being a member of that team and representing the school.”

Senior captain Jake Bullock, a business administration major, has seen improvements in the team himself. The desire to win came with the harder swim sets and workouts, but the rewards were much sweeter.

“Nobody on our team ever puts us down. We’re always like, ‘Okay, we know we have the talent. We know we have the strength. We can do it,’” Bullock told The Panther. “And, I think a lot of that has to do with how we have a very positive mindset on this team. Guys don’t really get down on each other. If anybody does snap at each other at a practice, we get right on it, we resolve it. We are really close as a team now, and I think that’s what’s pushing us forward.”

The COVID-19 pandemic had changed the SCIAC playoff world for a while. Previously, six teams would go to the playoffs. Chapman’s water polo team last year had qualified, but they were out by the first round. However, this year is the first season that the rules have been reverted back to what it had been originally before the pandemic, and it is the first time in six years that the team has earned their place in the SCIAC playoffs.

“What I want the most is for us to let the teams know we’re here. We are a good program, (and) we have turned around,” Bullock said. “Be ready for us; now we are one of the top dogs. We will be coming for you each season moving forward now.”

Bullock continued: “I want to be able to go in, secure those wins, win the championship and show them, ‘Okay, Chapman is a changed program. They are competitors, we need to take them seriously.’ Because, a lot of teams ride us off. And I love that, I like being the underdog, being the black horse. Being able to go in and win these games where the other opponent is like, ‘We’re going to smother them.’ That’s the best feeling ever. I love that, so I want that for us.”

In addition to gaining experience, Ploessel sees the playoffs as an opportunity to also boost team morale and spirit. He believes the team’s biggest takeaway in reaching the SCIAC playoffs is very simple: pride, specifically in all of the work the team has put in to reach this point.

“Only four teams make it out of the nine. There’s five teams not practicing today. Take pride in that, that we got to that point,” Ploessel said.