BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Gabby Juarez has led the Long Island University women’s water polo team to impressive results as a young program. Due to her efforts with the women’s program, Juarez’s role is expanding for the 2022-23 academic year as she was promoted to Director of Water Polo and now leads both the men’s and women’s teams as head coach.
An alumna of the University of California-Los Angeles, Juarez has already made a major impact at LIU on the women’s side – a feat she will aim to repeat with the men’s water polo program.
As the first head coach of the women’s program, Juarez has led the Sharks to a gaudy 20-2 record in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) during the team’s young existence. LIU captured its first regular-season MAAC championship in 2020-21.
During LIU’s 2021-22 season, Juarez led the Sharks to a 25-7 mark as the team consistently appeared among the Top 25 programs in the nation. LIU ascended to 17th in the country after topping No. 10 Indiana on February 9, 2022, marking the highest ranking in Sharks’ history.
Along with LIU’s success in the pool, the Sharks landed a conference-best 13 student-athletes on the MAAC All-Academic Team Award. The women’s water polo team earned a No. 23 ranking in the final College Water Polo Association poll.
Under Juarez’s guidance, junior attackers Elena Camarena and Paola Dominguez were named to the All-MAAC tournament team. Over the last three seasons, Juarez coached the 2021 MAAC Rookie of the year (Paola Dominguez) and 2022 MAAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year (Camarena).
Juarez’s coaching career began at her alma mater, Whittier High School. In 2018, Juarez was awarded United States Water Polo (USAWP) Brent Bohlender Distinguished Coaching Award for the Northeast Zone for coaching Brooklyn Hustle at the Junior Olympics.
A native of East Los Angeles, Calif., Juarez began playing at Whittier High School and Commerce Aquatics. At Commerce, Juarez was an All-America selection at the Junior Olympics and a starter at two-meters.
During her collegiate days in Westwood, Juarez helped the Bruins win the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship and place third at the NCAA Championship hosted by Stanford University in 2012.
Information courtesy Long Island University Athletics Communications
