Women’s Water Polo Adds Two-Time Gold Medalist Rachel Fattal To Staff
8/22/2022 12:30:00 PM | Women's Water Polo
Shana Welch has hired Fattal as the program’s assistant coach.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State Women's Water Polo Head Coach Shana Welch announced that two-time Olympian and Gold Medalist Rachel Fattal will be joining the program as the new assistant coach for the Beach.
"We are extremely excited to welcome Rachel to the Beach and to our team," said Welch. "Her extensive experience and success at the collegiate, international, and Olympic level will undoubtedly contribute to the growth of our team as we enter a new season."
"Her vision of success and team culture align with what we believe in here at the Beach," Welch continued. "Rachel brings a knowledge of the game and a love of the sport that is unmatched, and I know our student-athletes are looking forward to learning as much as they can from her."
Fattal was first called up to the USA National Team at the junior level in 2011, and made her senior team debut in 2013 at the FINA World Championship and has been a mainstay of the national team ever since.
She was named the FINA World Championships Most Valuable Player in 2015 after scoring 18 goals and leading the USA to the Gold Medal, and then made her first Olympic appearance at the 2016 Rio games, where the USA once again claimed Gold.
Continuing to star internationally, Fattal had another fantastic effort at the 2017 FINA World Championships with 14 goals and 10 assists, and ultimately played her way into a second Olympic appearance in the 2020 Tokyo games, winning her second Gold Medal with the Americans.
Fattal played collegiately at UCLA, where she was a four-time first-team All-American despite taking a redshirt season in 2016 to prepare for the Rio Olympics. A local product, Fattal was a 2012 graduate of Los Alamitos High School.
In addition to her extensive playing career, Fattal has coached at the club level for multiple sports, teaching volleyball as well as water polo outside of training.
"We are extremely excited to welcome Rachel to the Beach and to our team," said Welch. "Her extensive experience and success at the collegiate, international, and Olympic level will undoubtedly contribute to the growth of our team as we enter a new season."
"Her vision of success and team culture align with what we believe in here at the Beach," Welch continued. "Rachel brings a knowledge of the game and a love of the sport that is unmatched, and I know our student-athletes are looking forward to learning as much as they can from her."
Fattal was first called up to the USA National Team at the junior level in 2011, and made her senior team debut in 2013 at the FINA World Championship and has been a mainstay of the national team ever since.
She was named the FINA World Championships Most Valuable Player in 2015 after scoring 18 goals and leading the USA to the Gold Medal, and then made her first Olympic appearance at the 2016 Rio games, where the USA once again claimed Gold.
Continuing to star internationally, Fattal had another fantastic effort at the 2017 FINA World Championships with 14 goals and 10 assists, and ultimately played her way into a second Olympic appearance in the 2020 Tokyo games, winning her second Gold Medal with the Americans.
Fattal played collegiately at UCLA, where she was a four-time first-team All-American despite taking a redshirt season in 2016 to prepare for the Rio Olympics. A local product, Fattal was a 2012 graduate of Los Alamitos High School.
In addition to her extensive playing career, Fattal has coached at the club level for multiple sports, teaching volleyball as well as water polo outside of training.
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