The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation is as much a powerhouse conference for water polo as it is for men’s volleyball—which is a large part of why the 49ers of Long Beach State were only picked to finish eighth in a preseason coaches’ poll

Last year the 49ers were 14-18, but head coach Gavin Arroyo welcomes back 12 letterwinners and five starters including seniors Dereck Weibe-Bailey and Justin Koeppen. Weibe-Bailey was a third-team all MPSF performer last season finishing fifth in the nation in saves averaging nine saves per game. Koeppen, who will be the 2009 team captain, was selected last season to the MPSF All-Academic team and also scored two or more goals in four games last season.

USC, who will start the season on a 29-game win streak, won both the conference and national championship a year ago. Long Beach State will face the Trojans in their opening game September 12 at the 49er Campus Pool. The Trojans will return 12 of 16 players and five All-Americans from last year’s title team, including 2008 Olympic silver medalist and Cutino Award winner J.W. Krumpholz. Also back is goalkeeper Joel Dennerley, the 2008 MPSF Newcomer of the Year.

Stanford, last year’s NCAA runner-up, earned three first-place votes and finished just two points behind USC in the preseason poll with 59. The Cardinal returns the conference player of the year in goalkeeper Jimmy Sandman, as well as All-Americans Sage Wright while the University of California received 51 points and were picked third.

UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, Pepperdine, UC Irvine, Long Beach State and Pacific round out the MPSF coaches’ poll.

From LBSU reports