The Varsity Blues men's water polo team flew to California to compete in a series of matches against high-caliber teams from the state from October 7-9.
 
On day one, the Blues competed against Cal Baptist and the University of California Santa Barbara. First on the schedule for Toronto was the 16th-ranked Lancers of California Baptist. Looking to shake off the jet lag, the Blues were in tough against the Lancers, falling 16-5.
 
Next on the schedule for the Blues, they took on UCSB. After a strong start for the Blues, which saw them leading by as many as three goals in the first half, UCSB responded in the third quarter to take the lead. Behind eight consecutive goals, UCSB would go on to down the Blues 16-12.
 
The following day, Toronto took on the Cuesta College Cougars. Although the game resulted in an 11-8 loss, Patrick Conn delivered a stellar performance. Having missed all of the OUA season last year due to injury, Piedmont, California product clearly felt comfortable being back in his home state.
 
That same afternoon, the Blues battled Biola University. While the game did start in U of T's favour, initially leading 3-2, Biola responded with five unanswered goals. The Blues managed to prevent the gap from widening further, and even came back with a strong third quarter, but once Biola had built out that early lead, they refused to let it go. In the end, it was Biola defeating Toronto 13-9.
 
The final stop on the California trip was Cal Lutheran. Round out a weekend full of games, the Blues got off to a slow start, falling behind 11-4 at the half. Despite trailing, the Blues showed heart and closed the gap to a four-goal game in the third, winning the
quarter 4-1, before ultimately losing the match 20-15.
 
With great experience under their belts, the Blues will now return to Toronto and prepare for a match against the Western Mustangs on October 22.