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When Matt Warshaw arrives for work each day, it still feels a little surreal. An alumnus coaching at the place that helped shape him, and now, in his 10th season leading CSUN women’s water polo, Warshaw has built a program that consistently earns national respect. 

  

“CSUN is a special place,” Warshaw said. “I still kind of do a double take when I get to pull in and park in the faculty lot … it’s a great spot.” 

  

Since taking over in 2016, Warshaw has guided the Matadors into the national conversation, emphasizing academics and team-first values as the backbone of sustained success. Under his leadership, CSUN has become a regular in the Top 25, and players like redshirt senior attacker Alexis Smith have flourished in a culture that’s as much about growth as it is about winning. 

  

“I really think that, not only has he helped me develop in the pool, but my skills outside the pool — communication, teamwork, how to build and sustain a good team culture — that’s really what I’ve learned the most,” Smith said. 

  

This is the story of how CSUN women’s water polo found its identity — and why the Matadors believe their best days are still ahead. 

  

When Warshaw returned to his alma mater, he didn’t arrive with a fixed blueprint. Instead, he saw the program as a living, breathing thing that would grow through trial, reflection and constant refinement. 

  

“It’s a work in progress,” he said. “The last 10 years are probably just a culmination of my mistakes, you know, but every time I mess up, we just fix it.” 

  

His guiding principle was simple: put academics first, then build a team identity that values the collective over the individual. That meant creating an environment where student-athletes could thrive in the classroom and in the pool — and where post-college success mattered as much as wins. 

  

“From our graduation rates and what our graduates are doing post-college life, I think the vision is coming to life,” Warshaw said. “But it’s a living, breathing thing … we’re always kind of striving to do a little better each time.” 

  

That mindset has become a trademark of the program. CSUN doesn’t chase quick fixes. Instead, the Matadors invest in culture and chemistry, trusting that the results will follow. 

  

Staying ranked in one of the nation’s toughest women's water polo conferences in one of the most competitive collegiate sports in the country is a priority, and The Big West is a major reason why. With multiple nationally ranked teams, the conference schedule alone keeps CSUN in the mix — and demands the Matadors’ best every week. 

  

“A lot of hard work and a little luck,” Warshaw said of staying nationally relevant. “Being in The Big West definitely helps. It’s a premier water polo conference, and it gives us five or six games against nationally-ranked opponents just built into the schedule.” 

  

That strength of schedule is by design. Warshaw and his staff intentionally line up non-conference matchups against teams at or above CSUN’s ranking to create opportunities to climb as the season unfolds. The result: a program that measures itself against the nation’s best — and often rises to the challenge. 

  

“Everything we do from August to January is to get ready for the conference games and then go compete the best we can,” Warshaw said. “If you win a couple of Big West games, you’re going to organically be ranked in the top 25.” 

  

For the Matadors, the conference isn’t just a proving ground — it’s a launchpad. 

  

If there’s a through line to CSUN’s rise, it’s the program’s unwavering belief that culture is the foundation of everything. Warshaw talks about it often with his team, reminding them that the privilege of playing college water polo comes with a responsibility to the group. 

  

“Culture and team chemistry are things we talk about on a regular basis here,” he said. “It’s so important that we have this mindset that we get to be here. We don’t have to be here.” 

  

That perspective has helped the Matadors weather the inevitable speed bumps of a long season. When the culture is strong, challenges feel manageable. When it’s not, even small issues can feel overwhelming. 

  

“What we’ve kind of learned through the years is when we have that special culture, we can get through the speed bumps that happen just normally in a season,” Warshaw said. “And when the culture is not good, the speed bumps seem just insurmountable.” 

  

Smith, who has spent four and a half years in the program, sees that culture as CSUN’s greatest differentiator. 

  

“We have such a positive environment going on,” she said. “Even with all these new girls, I think we’re gonna be able to keep that environment up and keep the good culture rolling.” 

  

The 2025 season was a high-water mark for the Matadors. CSUN set a school record with 393 goals and stayed nationally ranked for 12 straight weeks. Warshaw credits that run to two things: health and timely performances. 

  

“We dodged the injury bug,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever had a team stay as healthy as I had a team that year. And then on top of that, we had a couple of athletes just have career years. It seemed like every time we asked them to perform, they performed.” 

  

Last season reinforced what Warshaw has come to believe: when culture and chemistry are right, the results take care of themselves. It also set the standard for what the program expects moving forward. 

  

“We’re gonna just keep hammering the culture and the chemistry,” he said. “And then, of course, our goal is always going to be to win Big West games.” 

  

For Smith and her teammates, the pursuit is about more than trophies. It’s about the relationships and experiences that define their college years. 

  

“It’s meant everything,” Smith said. “I’ve made some of my closest friends. I’ve had some of the best experiences in terms of playing and getting to travel and experience everything The Big West has to offer.” 

  

In a sport with a tight-knit community, Warshaw hopes CSUN is known for more than just its results. He wants the Matadors to be recognized as a place where student-athletes are supported, challenged and surrounded by people who care. 

  

“There’s so many resources here at CSUN … there’s a lot of support for the student-athlete,” he said. “If I do my job, we’ll be creating these lifelong friendships among the team, and we use that a lot. We kinda lean on each other ’cause college is hard.” 

  

That’s the legacy he hopes to leave — a program that wins with integrity, values the whole student-athlete, and sends young women into the world ready for whatever comes next. 

  

As Smith prepares to graduate, she carries that spirit with her. 

  

“I think it’s kind of been amazing,” she said. “I’ve been here for four and a half years, and I think the majority of the time we’ve had such a positive team culture and good relationships on the team. And I think that’s hard to come by sometimes.   

  

"I think we're gonna be able to keep that that environment up and keep the good culture rolling.” 

At CSUN, it’s become the standard — one built by a coach who never stops evolving and a team that believes in something bigger than itself.