2021 USC Men's Water Polo Roster
Roster
Jacob Mercep
- Position:
- Driver
- Height:
- 6-2
- Weight:
- null
- Class:
- Redshirt Senior
- Hometown:
- Dubrovnik, Croatia
- High School:
- Dubrovnik Private Gymn.
2021: Mercep finished his USC career ranked No. 4 all-time in scoring with 199 career goals... Led USC in scoring with 47 goals as a senior... Named to ACWPC All-America First Team and All-MPSF First Team... Also selected to NCAA All-Tournament First Team and MPSF All-Tournament Team... Scored in 17 games with a team-high 13 multiple-goal outings... Matched his USC career high with seven goals vs. UC Davis on Sept. 18... Named MPSF Player of the Week on Nov. 1.
2020: In a season shortened and delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Mercep led USC in scoring with 39 goals... Selected as a finalist for the Cutino Award... Named to ACWPC All-America First Team and All-MPSF First Team... Also selected to NCAA All-Tournament First Team and MPSF All-Tournament Team... Scored in 15 games with 12 multiple-goal outings... Set new USC career high with seven goals vs. UCLA on Jan. 23... Scored eight goals at the MPSF Tournament... Named MPSF Player of the Week on Feb. 15.
2019: Mercep again led USC in scoring with 51 goals in his junior season... Named to All-America First Team and All-MPSF First Team... Selected to NCAA All-Tournament First Team after scoring three goals in the quarterfinal and five goals in the semifinal... Also named to MPSF All-Tournament Team... Twice name MPSF Player of the Week (Sept. 23 and Oct. 7)... Scored in 19 different games with a team-high 15 multiple-goal outings, including five-goal efforts vs. Long Beach State on Sept. 19 and vs. Stanford in the NCAA semifinal... Scored 15 goals vs. top-5 opponents.
2018: In his first season as a Trojan, Mercep led USC in scoring with 62 goals... Earned All-America First Team and All-MPSF First Team honors... Selected the NCAA Tournament MVP after scoring five goals in the NCAA Championship game... Finished with 27 goals against top-5 opponents... Also named to MPSF All-Tournament Team... Named MPSF Player of the Week on Oct. 15... Scored in 27 different games with a team-high 19 multiple-goal outings... Had two five-goal games — vs. Cal in the Mountain Pacific Invitational semifinals and vs. Stanford in the NCAA final.
2017 AT SJSU: Mercep played in 27 games as a true freshman at San José State… Earned ACWPC All-America Honorable Mention... Named GCC Newcomer of the Year… Second-Team All-GCC… GCC All-Freshman Team honors… Two-time GCC Player of the Week… Set a San José State single-season record and led the conference in scoring with 93 goals on 192 shots… Was second on team in assists with 26… Set a school record and led conference with 119 points in a single season… Led the team and conference with 3.44 goals per game… Recorded a career-high nine goals against Cal Baptist on Oct. 7, good for most goals scored in a single game by a San José State player… Recorded a season-high four steals against UC Santa Barbara on Nov. 18… Recorded 18 multi-goal games, including seven games with six goals scored.
NATIONAL TEAMS: Mercep is a member of Australia’s National Team and has been selected as an Olympian with the Aussie Sharks for the 2024 Paris Games... Croatian-born, he won gold with Croatia at the 2016 FINA Youth World Championships... Also earned silver at the 2017 FINA Junior World Championships.
HIGH SCHOOL: Mercep attended Dubrovnik Private Gymnasium in Croatia... Played club water polo for Jug Dubrovnik.
PERSONAL: Mercep earned his USC undergraduate degree in economics and completed a master's in entrepreneurship and innovation... Parents are Denis and Ivana... Has five siblings, Ivan, Luka, David, Lovro and Vito... Brother Ivan plays water polo at UC Irvine... Hopes to compete in the Olympics... Born Feb. 8, 1998.
