LA JOLLA, Calif. – Four-time All-American Sarah Lizotte will rejoin the UC San Diego women's water polo team as an assistant coach. Head coach Brad Kreutzkamp made the announcement of the hire Thursday.

A marquis player for the Tritons between 2011 and 2014, Lizotte is the program's all-time leader in goals and assists. The Riverside, Calif., native earned Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) First Team All-America status following each of her seasons.

She returns to La Jolla after spending the last year as an assistant coach with the men's and women's programs at UCLA.

"I am beyond thrilled to return to UC San Diego, a place that has always held a special place in my heart," said Lizotte. My time as a player nearly a decade ago was transformative and my water polo career as a Triton was a testament to the incredible support and camaraderie of this community. After spending eight years playing in Europe and a fulfilling year coaching at UCLA, coming back to UC San Diego feels like a homecoming. The connections I made here and the impact this community has had on my life and career are immeasurable."

In 2024, Lizotte's guidance as a coach helped the UCLA women's team win a national title. With the Bruins, she assisted in developing and executing practice plans and game strategies to improve team performance while mentoring and guiding players to help them reach their full potential. Lizotte also had a hand in recruiting top performing athletes both nationally and internationally.

Lizotte served as the head coach of the Canyon Crest Academy varsity women's team (2012-2015) and was an assistant coach with the Cathedral Catholic High School men's varsity team (2012-2015), which won a pair of CIF titles during her tenure. Both schools are located in San Diego.

Between 2010 and 2015, Lizotte was the head coach and director of the youth program at the Del Mar Water Polo Club in San Diego.

As a professional player, Lizotte spent eight seasons (2015-2023) with Club Esportiu Mediterrani, based in Barcelona, Spain. A six-time team captain, Lizotte helped the squad classify and compete in the European Champions League.

While in Europe, Lizotte was the USA Sports Relations Manager at the Barcelona International Water Polo Academy where she was involved in international sales, marketing, and communications.

She is also the founder of the Lizotte International Sports Agency in Barcelona (2020-2023), which aided in recruitment consultation, event production, and athlete management.

Lizotte holds the top-three spots on UC San Diego's single-season goals list with 92 in 2014 and 2013 and 91 in 2012. She finished her career with 321 goals and 176 assists. In addition to her All-America selections, Lizotte was the ACWPC NCAA Division II Player of the Year as a junior and again as a senior. She was also tabbed the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Player of the Year during those two campaigns.

The Tritons won WWPA titles 2011, 2013, and 2014 and advanced to the NCAA tournament in each of those seasons.

"I couldn't be more excited to have Sarah come back to UC San Diego as our assistant coach after so many years of knowing her as a player, a coach, and a friend, said Kreutzkamp. "As a former scholar-athlete here and an eight-year stint playing professionally in Spain, she is bringing a background of experience that is invaluable to our team. I know I speak for the entire Athletics Department when I say how excited we are to have Sarah help us win our first Big West Championship."

Lizotte graduated from UC San Diego in 2014 with a degree in Communications. She also minored in Business at UCSD's Rady School of Business.

"As I step into this new role on the coaching staff, I am filled with so much gratitude. I am excited to give back to the program that has given me so much and to help guide and inspire the next generation of Tritons."

In 2024, UC San Diego went 18-12 overall and 4-3 in Big West action. For the third-straight year the team advanced to the Big West Championship semifinals.

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About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.