2020 Women's Water Polo Roster
Roster
Verica Bakoc
- Position:
- Driver
- Height:
- 5-9
- Class:
- Junior
- High School:
- Silverthorn Institute
- Hometown:
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
A two-time NCAA Champion at USC, lefty Verica Bakoc is making her Olympic debut as a member of Team Canada for Paris 2024.
2021:
• All-America Honorable Mention
• All-MPSF Honorable Mention
• Third leading scorer with 43 goals as a senior.
• Scored in 19 games with 12 multiple-goal outings
• Scored four goals in the NCAA Championship game to end that tournament with nine goals
• Scored a career-high seven goals in a 12-9 win at Cal on March 21
• MPSF Player of the Week (March 23)
2020: In a season cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bakoc scored 14 goals as a junior as USC was 12-1 overall when competition was cancelled...Scored in eight games with four multiple-goal outings, including career-best hat tricks vs. Long Beach State and San José State.
2019: Bakoc scored 13 goals as a sophomore... Scored a career-high three goals vs. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Jan. 26... Scored in seven games with five multiple-goal outings... Scored two goals during the MPSF Tournament and two goals at the NCAA Tournament.
2018: Bakoc scored 14 goals as a freshman... First career goal came in the season opener vs. LMU... Scored in 12 games with two multiple-goal efforts, both two-goal outings vs. Cal Baptist and vs. UCLA in the MPSF semifinal... A member of the 2018 NCAA Championship roster.
NATIONAL TEAMS: Bakoc is a member of the Canadian National Team and is a first-time Olympian for Team Canada in Paris… Helped Canada win silver at the 2023 Pan American Games... Competed for Canada at the 2019 World University Games and at the 2019 FINA Junior World Championships... Won bronze medal at the 2017 FINA Intercontinental Tournament... As a member of Canada’s Youth National Team, won gold at the 2016 Pan American Championship and silver at the 2015 Pan American Championship.
HIGH SCHOOL: Bakoc attended Silverthorn Collegiate Institute in Toronto… Named the Provincial Championships MVP in 2013… A leading scorer for the 19-under and 16-under National League and was the top overall scorer in the Club National Championship Finals... Played club for Mavericks Water Polo Club.
PERSONAL: Bakoc earned her USC degree in real estate development… Parents are Dragan and Vesna… Has three siblings, Milos, Jovan and Dragica… Lists her favorite foods as chevape, ajvar and anything her grandma makes… Favorite films are P.S. I Love You and The Lion King… Favorite TV shows are How I Met Your Mother and Grey’s Anatomy… Hopes to visit Morocco, Venice and Bora Bora one day… Born on May 3, 1999.
