SANTA BARBARA, Calif. —  Six weeks into his freshman season, Luigi Canepa now has more Big West Men's Water Polo Player of the Week awards than any Gaucho before him. UC Santa Barbara's stellar Serbian earned his third weekly honor on Wednesday as the Gauchos prepare to host their conference opener on Saturday.
 
Canepa, who leads The Big West in scoring by both volume (65 total goals) and efficiency (3.1 goals per game), tallied six goals and three assists across a pair of Santa Barbara victories in San Jose last weekend, highlighted by a seven-point performance in the Gauchos' upset win over the hosting San Jose State Spartans, who entered the day ranked ninth in the country. The Belgrade native was involved in over half of his team's scoring in that 13-12 win, putting five in the net himself while setting up teammates for two more. Later that day, against Saint Mary's, Canepa picked up another goal and an assist in Santa Barbara's 14-8 victory as the Gauchos extended their winning streak to six games.
 
The Gauchos return home to Santa Barbara this Saturday, Oct. 10 to begin Big West play against the conference's newest member, No. 16 California Baptist. Canepa and the Gauchos will hit the water at 12 noon at Santa Barbara High School, where games are open and free to attend. Fans can also catch all the action by watching live on ESPN+ or by following live stats at ucsbgauchos.com/MWP_Stats.