Redlands’ Ashley Williams making waves in Fresno State water polo

REDLANDS, Calif. – Former Citrus Valley High School standout Ashley Williams continues to make an impact at Fresno State as she helps lead the Bulldogs’ women’s water polo team toward another championship season.

Williams, a four-time All-American in high school and daughter of Redlands East Valley boys’ water polo coach Ryan Williams and his wife, Sarah, was recruited by Fresno State and quickly became a key contributor to the program. Since joining the team, she has helped the Bulldogs secure back-to-back Gold Coast Conference (GCC) titles—now aiming for their fifth straight championship and another NCAA tournament appearance.

As a high school star, Williams was known for her offensive prowess. However, under Fresno State head coach Natalie Benson, she has taken on a different but equally crucial role. With established offensive threats such as Brooke Ochoa, Haley Andress, and Amy Simshauser, Williams has focused on becoming an aggressive attacker, drawing fouls and creating scoring opportunities for her team.

Her ability to force defensive exclusion fouls—penalties given when a defender impedes an opponent’s movement—has made her a major asset. As of March 20, Williams leads the team this season with 49 drawn exclusions and has accumulated 100 in her career, the second-most in program history. She is closing in on the school record of 105, set by Emily Nicholson in 2022.

Impressive Stats and Contributions

Williams’ contributions extend beyond just drawing exclusions. Her season stats reflect her well-rounded impact:

• 2023-24 Season (as of March 20):

• Goals: 45 (11, 23, 11 over three seasons)

• Defensive Exclusions Drawn: 100 (16, 45, 39)

• Steals: 18 (9, 5, 4)

Williams’ aggressive playing style forces opponents into foul trouble, creating advantages for Fresno State. Notably, she drew eight exclusions in a single game against Long Beach State on Feb. 24—the second-most in a game in program history. She followed up with seven exclusions in a win over USC on Feb. 25.

Career Highlights at Fresno State

Williams has steadily improved since her freshman season:

• 2023 (Freshman Year):

• Appeared in 24 games

• Scored 11 goals

• Recorded 16 drawn exclusions

• Tallied nine steals

• Had a season-high three goals against Azusa Pacific (March 18)

• Named a GCC All-Academic selection

• 2024 (Sophomore Year):

• Appeared in 28 games

• Scored a career-best 23 goals with three assists

• Notched five steals and one field block

• Scored in 17 games, with six multi-goal performances

• Earned GCC All-Academic honors

As Williams and Fresno State push for another conference title and NCAA tournament berth, her ability to disrupt defenses and generate scoring chances remains vital to the team’s success.

With her career still in progress, the Redlands community has plenty to be proud of as Williams continues to make a name for herself on the collegiate stage.