University Southern California Trojans
Photo by: John McGillen
Strahijna Krstic wins MPSF Newcomer of the Year; 7 Trojans Honored on All-MPSF Teams
November 19, 2025 | Men's Water Polo
LOS ANGELES – The MPSF announced its men's water polo postseason awards on Wednesday (Nov. 19) and USC's Strahijna Krstić took home the MPSF Newcomer of the Year while seven Trojans were also named to All-MPSF teams.
Mihailo Vukazic and Andrej Grgurevic earned All-MPSF first team honors, while Krstic, Stefan Brankovic and Robert Lopèz Duart were named to the second team. USC's Jack Martin and Charles Mills garnered honorable mention.
Krstić, a freshman center, came to USC from Belgrade, Serbia and hit the ground running, scoring seven goals across his first three collegiate games. He went on to score 39 goals for the season, the third most for the Trojans, and is riding a 17-game scoring streak heading into postseason play. He scored a career-high four goals three times (against UCSB, Princeton and UCLA) and has also drawn the second most exclusions in the conference. Krstić won MSPF Newcomer of the Week four times over the course of the season, the most in the conference. He is USC's fifth MPSF Newcomer of the Year and its first since 2022.
Vukazic was second for USC in goals and third in assists, with 46 and 25 respectively. He scored in all but two games and won the MPSF Player of the Week after an eight-goal performance against UC Irvine, the most scored in a single game by a Trojan this season.
Grgurevic was second on the team in assists with 26 and fourth in points with 49. He also tied for the team lead in field blocks with 10. He was named to the All-MPSF second team in 2024 and was an All-MPSF honorable mention in 2023.
Joining Krstic on the second team was junior driver Lopèz Duart, who scored 55 goals, leading the Trojans and finishing the regular season third overall in the conference. He scored in all 21 games for the Trojans and had multi-goal games in 15 of them. He also tied with Grgurevic with ten field blocks to lead the team. Lopèz Duart won the MPSF Player of the Week award once and was named to the 2024 All-MPSF First Team.
Brankovic led USC in assists with 44 and was third in points with 66. He was a 2024 All-MPSF honorable mention before earning his second-team honors this season.
Martin, a redshirt senior center, was fourth on the team in goals with 29 and second in drawn exclusions. Mills appeared in 17 games, totalling 133 saves while allowing just 9.57 goals a game.
Overall, the seven Trojans to earn All-MPSF honors is tied for the most of any school. USC will return to the pool with the first round of the MPSF Tournament at Stanford on Friday, Nov. 21. The Trojans will face the winner of Austin College and Wheaton at 4 p.m. at Avery Aquatic Center.
Mihailo Vukazic and Andrej Grgurevic earned All-MPSF first team honors, while Krstic, Stefan Brankovic and Robert Lopèz Duart were named to the second team. USC's Jack Martin and Charles Mills garnered honorable mention.
Krstić, a freshman center, came to USC from Belgrade, Serbia and hit the ground running, scoring seven goals across his first three collegiate games. He went on to score 39 goals for the season, the third most for the Trojans, and is riding a 17-game scoring streak heading into postseason play. He scored a career-high four goals three times (against UCSB, Princeton and UCLA) and has also drawn the second most exclusions in the conference. Krstić won MSPF Newcomer of the Week four times over the course of the season, the most in the conference. He is USC's fifth MPSF Newcomer of the Year and its first since 2022.
Vukazic was second for USC in goals and third in assists, with 46 and 25 respectively. He scored in all but two games and won the MPSF Player of the Week after an eight-goal performance against UC Irvine, the most scored in a single game by a Trojan this season.
Grgurevic was second on the team in assists with 26 and fourth in points with 49. He also tied for the team lead in field blocks with 10. He was named to the All-MPSF second team in 2024 and was an All-MPSF honorable mention in 2023.
Joining Krstic on the second team was junior driver Lopèz Duart, who scored 55 goals, leading the Trojans and finishing the regular season third overall in the conference. He scored in all 21 games for the Trojans and had multi-goal games in 15 of them. He also tied with Grgurevic with ten field blocks to lead the team. Lopèz Duart won the MPSF Player of the Week award once and was named to the 2024 All-MPSF First Team.
Brankovic led USC in assists with 44 and was third in points with 66. He was a 2024 All-MPSF honorable mention before earning his second-team honors this season.
Martin, a redshirt senior center, was fourth on the team in goals with 29 and second in drawn exclusions. Mills appeared in 17 games, totalling 133 saves while allowing just 9.57 goals a game.
Overall, the seven Trojans to earn All-MPSF honors is tied for the most of any school. USC will return to the pool with the first round of the MPSF Tournament at Stanford on Friday, Nov. 21. The Trojans will face the winner of Austin College and Wheaton at 4 p.m. at Avery Aquatic Center.
Players Mentioned
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