Saturday, January 20
Santa Barbara, CA
11:45 AM
UCLA
vs
Marist
The Bruins open the 2024 seasonย with No. 25 Maristย on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 11:45ย a.m. at the UCSB Winter Invitational.
Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA
No. 3 UCLA Opens Season at UCSB Winter Invitational
January 19, 2024 | Women's Water Polo
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LOS ANGELES โ No. 3 UCLA (0-0, 0-0 MPSF) opens the 2024 campaign with three games at the UCSB Winter Invitational, beginning with No. 25 Maristย on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 11:45ย a.m.. The Bruins willย finish day one with No. 10 UC San Diego at 3:30ย p.m. The Bruins will conclude the weekend with one game on Sunday against the hosts, No. 12 UC Santa Barbara at 10:30ย a.m. The Gauchos will provide live stats on The FOSH for all games. No live stream will be available for any games this weekend. With the Gauchos' home pool still inoperable,ย this year's Invitational will be held at Santa Barbara High School, located at 700 E Anapamu St. in Santa Barbara, Calif. Admission to all 13 games will be free and open to the public until the venue's capacity is reached. You can find rosters, schedules, and statistics for all teams as well as box scores at the Tournament Central page by clickingย here.
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Saturday, Jan. 20 (UCSB Winter Inviteย โย Santa Barbara High School)
11:45 AM PT โ No. 3 UCLAย vs. No. 25 Maristย |ย LIVE STATS
3:30 PM PT โ No. 3 UCLAย vs. No. 10 UC San Diegoย |ย LIVE STATS
Sunday, Jan. 21 (UCSB Winter Inviteย โย Santa Barbara High School)
10:30ย AM PT โ No. 3 UCLAย at No. 12 UC Santa Barbaraย |ย LIVE STATS
SERIES HISTORY
This is the fourth meeting between UCLA and Marist with the Bruins leading the series 3-0. The Bruins defeated the Red Foxes 14-4 in the last meeting between the two teams (Jan. 26, 2020) at the Michigan Invitational.
This is the 40th meeting between UCLA and UC San Diego with the Bruins leading the series 36-3. UCLA defeated UCSD two times last year, including a 16-2 win at the UCSB Winter Invite (Jan. 22), and a 15-3 win at UC San Diego in the Tritonย Invitational on Feb. 4.
This is the 48th meeting between UCLA and UC Santa Barbara with the Bruinsย leading the series 45-2. UCLA defeated UCSB twice last year as well, posting an 11-6 winย at the UCSB Winter Invite on Jan. 22 and a 14-4 victory in the quarterfinals of the Barbara Kalbus Invitational at UC Irvine on Feb. 24.
UCLA IN SEASON OPENERS
UCLA has won 24 consecutive season-opening games. The Bruins' last loss to open a season was a 4-3 setback at Stanford on Feb. 6, 1999. Overall, the Bruins are 27-2 all-time in season openers. UCLA's only other loss to open a season was the very first game in program history when Golden West College defeated UCLA, 14-1, on Feb. 3, 1995 at the Women's Winter Nationals.
PEARSON IS LONE RETURNING ALL-AMERICANย FROM 2023
Sophomore utility Anna Pearson is the only Bruin All-American back for the 2024 season. She earned Honorable Mention accolades after finishing second on the team in scoring with 46 goals. First Team All-Americanย center Ava Johnson,ย graduated, as did Second-Teamer, utility Katrina Drake. Junior attackerย Emma Lineback and sophomore utility Sienna Green both earned Honorable Mention plaudits and both will miss the 2024 campaign to train for a spot on the National Teams of their respective countries, USA and Australia, for the Olympic Games.
TWO MOREย ALL-AMERICANS RETURNING
But while only one player is back this season that earned All-America acclaim in 2023, the Bruins return two more players that have achieved All-America status in their respective careers. Junior attacker Molly Renner earned Honorable Mention honors in 2022 and was eighth on the team last year in scoring with 25 goals (56 in her career). Graduate student Hannah Palmer has decided to use her free COVID year and return for a fifth season after earning Second-Team All-America honors in 2021. The attacker was 10th on the team last year in scoring with 20 goals (93 in her career).
RETURNING ALL-MPSFย SELECTIONS
While five of the Bruins' seven All-MPSF selections from a year ago are either gone or using an Olympic year, two players return from the 2023 season that received postseason accolades from the league office. Both are sophomores in utility Anna Pearson and attacker Taylor Smith, who was seventh on the squad in scoring with 30 goals.
TENDING GOAL
The Bruins have five goalkeepers on the 2024 roster that will be vying for playing time and three of them saw action last season. Leading the charge will beย seniorย Sydney Chiang, who played in eight games (starting six times) while going 6-0ย on the year. Sophomoreย Izzy Rosensittoย made one appearance on the year while junior MJ Bailey also played in one game. Looking to make an immediate impact will be two true freshmen goalkeepers in Joey Niz (Los Alamitos, Calif./Los Alamitosย HS) and Lauren Steele (Old Greenwich, Conn./Orange Lutheran HS).
ย
YOUTH MOVEMENT
The Bruins will be a fairly young team in 2024 with 11 true freshmen and six sophomores on the roster. That is a total of 17 of the Bruins' 26 student-athletes (65.4 percent) on the roster with only one year or less of collegiate experience. The 11 freshmen include the two aforementioned goalies, as well as center Dania Innis (Orinda, Calif./Miramonte HS), attackers Elektra Urbatsch (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day School), Becca Melanson (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny HS), Helene MacBeth (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente HS), Camille Greenlee (Carlsbad, Calif./The Bishop's School), and Alexsa Gimenez (Commerce, Calif./Downey HS), and utilities Natasha Kieckhafer (San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic HS), Olivia Ouellette (Los Alamitos, Calif./Los Alamitos HS), and Panni Szegedi (Budapest, Hungary/Kolping Katolikus Iskola).
ย
OUTNUMBERED BUT MIGHTY
UCLA will have nine players on its 2024 roster that are either juniors, seniors or graduate students. Three graduate students are using their free COVID year to play in 2024 and they include attackers Fiona Kuesis, Hannah Palmer, and Brooke Doten. The Bruins also have three seniors on the roster that includes goalkeeper Sydney Chiang and attackers Anneliese Miller and Malia Allen. While junior Emma Lineback is taking an Olympic year, three more juniors return in 2024 that includes goalkeeper MJ Bailey, attacker Molly Renner, and utility Nicole Struss.
WRIGHT ON DECK
Adam Wright is in his seventh season as UCLA's head women's water polo coach in 2024 with an overall record of 126-36ย (.778) and an MPSF mark of 25-12 (.676). He recently won his 100th game at the helm of the women's program with a 9-8 victory at No. 4 California (Mar. 5, 2022).ย On July 20, 2017, then-UCLA Director of Athletics, Dan Guerrero, announced that Wrightย would guide both the UCLA men's and women's water polo teams.
ย
RECAPPING 2023
Overall Record: 21-8 (.724) | MPSF Record: 4-2 (.667) |ย Final Ranking: 3rd | NCAA Finish: T-3rd |ย MPSFย Tournament Finish: 4th
UCLA finished the season at 21-8 overall and 4-2 in the MPSF in 2023ย in head coach Adam Wright's sixth season at the helm of the program. Five Bruins earned All-America acclaim on the year. Graduate centerย Ava Johnsonย headlined the list of Bruin selections as UCLA's lone First-Team honoree. Graduate utilityย Katrina Drakeย was the only Bruin to earn Second-Team honors. The remaining three Bruins earned Honorable Mention All-America accolades, which included sophomore attackerย Emma Linebackย and a pair of freshmen utility inย Anna Pearsonย andย Sienna Green.
UCLA IN THEย CWPA POLL
The Bruins open the preseason at No. 3 in theย 2023ย CWPAย National Women's Varsity Top 25 Poll (91 points), released on Jan. 11.
ย
ย
LOS ANGELES โ No. 3 UCLA (0-0, 0-0 MPSF) opens the 2024 campaign with three games at the UCSB Winter Invitational, beginning with No. 25 Maristย on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 11:45ย a.m.. The Bruins willย finish day one with No. 10 UC San Diego at 3:30ย p.m. The Bruins will conclude the weekend with one game on Sunday against the hosts, No. 12 UC Santa Barbara at 10:30ย a.m. The Gauchos will provide live stats on The FOSH for all games. No live stream will be available for any games this weekend. With the Gauchos' home pool still inoperable,ย this year's Invitational will be held at Santa Barbara High School, located at 700 E Anapamu St. in Santa Barbara, Calif. Admission to all 13 games will be free and open to the public until the venue's capacity is reached. You can find rosters, schedules, and statistics for all teams as well as box scores at the Tournament Central page by clickingย here.
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Saturday, Jan. 20 (UCSB Winter Inviteย โย Santa Barbara High School)
11:45 AM PT โ No. 3 UCLAย vs. No. 25 Maristย |ย LIVE STATS
3:30 PM PT โ No. 3 UCLAย vs. No. 10 UC San Diegoย |ย LIVE STATS
Sunday, Jan. 21 (UCSB Winter Inviteย โย Santa Barbara High School)
10:30ย AM PT โ No. 3 UCLAย at No. 12 UC Santa Barbaraย |ย LIVE STATS
SERIES HISTORY
This is the fourth meeting between UCLA and Marist with the Bruins leading the series 3-0. The Bruins defeated the Red Foxes 14-4 in the last meeting between the two teams (Jan. 26, 2020) at the Michigan Invitational.
This is the 40th meeting between UCLA and UC San Diego with the Bruins leading the series 36-3. UCLA defeated UCSD two times last year, including a 16-2 win at the UCSB Winter Invite (Jan. 22), and a 15-3 win at UC San Diego in the Tritonย Invitational on Feb. 4.
This is the 48th meeting between UCLA and UC Santa Barbara with the Bruinsย leading the series 45-2. UCLA defeated UCSB twice last year as well, posting an 11-6 winย at the UCSB Winter Invite on Jan. 22 and a 14-4 victory in the quarterfinals of the Barbara Kalbus Invitational at UC Irvine on Feb. 24.
UCLA IN SEASON OPENERS
UCLA has won 24 consecutive season-opening games. The Bruins' last loss to open a season was a 4-3 setback at Stanford on Feb. 6, 1999. Overall, the Bruins are 27-2 all-time in season openers. UCLA's only other loss to open a season was the very first game in program history when Golden West College defeated UCLA, 14-1, on Feb. 3, 1995 at the Women's Winter Nationals.
PEARSON IS LONE RETURNING ALL-AMERICANย FROM 2023
Sophomore utility Anna Pearson is the only Bruin All-American back for the 2024 season. She earned Honorable Mention accolades after finishing second on the team in scoring with 46 goals. First Team All-Americanย center Ava Johnson,ย graduated, as did Second-Teamer, utility Katrina Drake. Junior attackerย Emma Lineback and sophomore utility Sienna Green both earned Honorable Mention plaudits and both will miss the 2024 campaign to train for a spot on the National Teams of their respective countries, USA and Australia, for the Olympic Games.
TWO MOREย ALL-AMERICANS RETURNING
But while only one player is back this season that earned All-America acclaim in 2023, the Bruins return two more players that have achieved All-America status in their respective careers. Junior attacker Molly Renner earned Honorable Mention honors in 2022 and was eighth on the team last year in scoring with 25 goals (56 in her career). Graduate student Hannah Palmer has decided to use her free COVID year and return for a fifth season after earning Second-Team All-America honors in 2021. The attacker was 10th on the team last year in scoring with 20 goals (93 in her career).
RETURNING ALL-MPSFย SELECTIONS
While five of the Bruins' seven All-MPSF selections from a year ago are either gone or using an Olympic year, two players return from the 2023 season that received postseason accolades from the league office. Both are sophomores in utility Anna Pearson and attacker Taylor Smith, who was seventh on the squad in scoring with 30 goals.
TENDING GOAL
The Bruins have five goalkeepers on the 2024 roster that will be vying for playing time and three of them saw action last season. Leading the charge will beย seniorย Sydney Chiang, who played in eight games (starting six times) while going 6-0ย on the year. Sophomoreย Izzy Rosensittoย made one appearance on the year while junior MJ Bailey also played in one game. Looking to make an immediate impact will be two true freshmen goalkeepers in Joey Niz (Los Alamitos, Calif./Los Alamitosย HS) and Lauren Steele (Old Greenwich, Conn./Orange Lutheran HS).
ย
YOUTH MOVEMENT
The Bruins will be a fairly young team in 2024 with 11 true freshmen and six sophomores on the roster. That is a total of 17 of the Bruins' 26 student-athletes (65.4 percent) on the roster with only one year or less of collegiate experience. The 11 freshmen include the two aforementioned goalies, as well as center Dania Innis (Orinda, Calif./Miramonte HS), attackers Elektra Urbatsch (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day School), Becca Melanson (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny HS), Helene MacBeth (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente HS), Camille Greenlee (Carlsbad, Calif./The Bishop's School), and Alexsa Gimenez (Commerce, Calif./Downey HS), and utilities Natasha Kieckhafer (San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic HS), Olivia Ouellette (Los Alamitos, Calif./Los Alamitos HS), and Panni Szegedi (Budapest, Hungary/Kolping Katolikus Iskola).
ย
OUTNUMBERED BUT MIGHTY
UCLA will have nine players on its 2024 roster that are either juniors, seniors or graduate students. Three graduate students are using their free COVID year to play in 2024 and they include attackers Fiona Kuesis, Hannah Palmer, and Brooke Doten. The Bruins also have three seniors on the roster that includes goalkeeper Sydney Chiang and attackers Anneliese Miller and Malia Allen. While junior Emma Lineback is taking an Olympic year, three more juniors return in 2024 that includes goalkeeper MJ Bailey, attacker Molly Renner, and utility Nicole Struss.
WRIGHT ON DECK
Adam Wright is in his seventh season as UCLA's head women's water polo coach in 2024 with an overall record of 126-36ย (.778) and an MPSF mark of 25-12 (.676). He recently won his 100th game at the helm of the women's program with a 9-8 victory at No. 4 California (Mar. 5, 2022).ย On July 20, 2017, then-UCLA Director of Athletics, Dan Guerrero, announced that Wrightย would guide both the UCLA men's and women's water polo teams.
ย
RECAPPING 2023
Overall Record: 21-8 (.724) | MPSF Record: 4-2 (.667) |ย Final Ranking: 3rd | NCAA Finish: T-3rd |ย MPSFย Tournament Finish: 4th
UCLA finished the season at 21-8 overall and 4-2 in the MPSF in 2023ย in head coach Adam Wright's sixth season at the helm of the program. Five Bruins earned All-America acclaim on the year. Graduate centerย Ava Johnsonย headlined the list of Bruin selections as UCLA's lone First-Team honoree. Graduate utilityย Katrina Drakeย was the only Bruin to earn Second-Team honors. The remaining three Bruins earned Honorable Mention All-America accolades, which included sophomore attackerย Emma Linebackย and a pair of freshmen utility inย Anna Pearsonย andย Sienna Green.
UCLA IN THEย CWPA POLL
The Bruins open the preseason at No. 3 in theย 2023ย CWPAย National Women's Varsity Top 25 Poll (91 points), released on Jan. 11.
ย
| 2024 Women's Varsity Top 25 (Preseason/January 11) | |||
| Rank | Team | Final 2023ย Poll | Points |
| ย 1 (T). | ย Stanford | ย 1 | ย 96 |
| ย 1 (T). | ย USC | ย 2 | ย 96 |
| ย 3. | ย UCLA | ย 3 | ย 91 |
| ย 4. | ย California | ย 7 | ย 90 |
| ย 5 (T). | ย UC Irvine | ย 4 (T) | ย 82 |
| ย 5 (T). | ย Hawai'i | ย 6 | ย 82 |
| ย 7. | ย Long Beach State | ย 8 | ย 76 |
| ย 8. | ย Princeton | ย 4 (T) | ย 70 |
| ย 9. | ย Fresno State | ย 9 | ย 69 |
| ย 10. | ย UC San Diego | ย 10 | ย 62 |
| ย 11. | ย UC Davis | ย 11 | ย 57 |
| ย 12. | ย UC Santa Barbara | ย 14 (T) | ย 50 |
| ย 13. | ย Michigan | ย 14 (T) | ย 48 |
| ย 14. | ย Arizona State | ย 16 | ย 47 |
| ย 15. | ย Indiana | ย 17 | ย 40 |
| ย 16. | ย Pacific | ย 12 (T) | ย 38 |
| ย 17. | ย Harvard | ย 12 (T) | ย 35 |
| ย 18 (T). | ย Loyola Marymount | ย 18 | ย 34 |
| ย 18 (T). | ย San Jose State | ย 19 | ย 34 |
| ย 20. | ย Wagner | ย 20 (T) | ย 26 |
| ย 21 (T). | ย Long Island University | ย 20 (T) | ย 18 |
| ย 21 (T). | ย CSUN | ย 22 (T) | ย 18 |
| ย 23. | ย San Diego State | ย 22 (T) | ย 13 |
| ย 24. | ย Brown | ย 22 (T) | ย 5 |
| ย 25 (T). | ย Marist | ย RV | ย 3 |
| ย 25 (T). | ย Pomona-Pitzer | ย 25 | ย 3 |
| ย 25 (T). | ย Biola | ย RV | ย 3 |
ย
Players Mentioned
ATK
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GK
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UTL
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
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UTL
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ATK
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CTR
/ Women's Water Polo
CTR
/ Women's Water Polo
UTL
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ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
UTL
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
UTL
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
GK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
GK
/ Women's Water Polo
UTL
/ Women's Water Polo
UTL
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
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