Thursday, March 13
Los Angeles
1:00 PM (PT)
UCLA
vs
Princeton
No. 4 UCLA hosts No. 12 Princeton on Thursday before hitting the road for two games this weekend.
Photo by: Elijah Carr
No. 4 UCLA Hosts No. 12 Princeton, Heads to No. 18 SJSU, No. 20 Pacific
March 12, 2025 | Women's Water Polo
LOS ANGELES โ No. 4 UCLA (13-3, 3-0 MPSF) hosts No. 12 Princeton (9-2, 4-1 CWPA) on Thursday, March 13 at 1:00 p.m. PT at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center. Then the Bruins hit the road to face No. 18 San Jose State (11-7, 0-1 MPSF) on Saturday, March 15 at 1:00 p.m. PT at SRAC and will conclude the weekend with at road tilt at No. 20 Pacific (8-6, 2-1 Golden Coast Conference) on Sunday, March 16 at 12:30 p.m. PT at Chris Kjeldsen Pool at the Douglass M. Eberhardt Aquatics Center. All three games will be streamed and will have live stats (see below,ย go to our schedule page, or follow us on X for links).
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Opponent:ย No. 12 Princetonย (9-2, 4-1 CWPA)ย |ย LIVE STATS |ย WATCH
Location:ย Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Centerย |ย Los Angeles, Calif.
Date:ย Thursday, March 13, 2025
Time:ย 1:00ย p.m. PT
Series History:ย UCLA leads 8-0 |ย Streak:ย Won 8
Last Meeting:ย W 10-6 (March 16, 2024 - Spieker Aquatics Center - Los Angeles, Calif.)
Opponent:ย No. 18 San Jose Stateย (11-7, 0-1 MPSF) |ย LIVE STATS |ย WATCH
Location:ย SRACย |ย San Jose, Calif.
Date:ย Saturday, March 15, 2025
Time:ย 1:00ย p.m. PT
Series History:ย UCLA leads 44-0 |ย Streak:ย Won 44
Last Meeting:ย W 16-8 (March 17, 2024 - Spieker Aquatics Center - Los Angeles, Calif.)
Opponent:ย No. 20 Pacificย (8-6, 2-1 Golden Coast Conference)ย |ย LIVE STATS |ย WATCH
Location:ย Chris Kjeldsen Pool at the Douglass M. Eberhardt Aquatics Centerย |ย Stockton, Calif.
Date:ย Sunday, March 16, 2025
Time:ย 12:30ย p.m. PT
Series History:ย UCLA leads 28-0 |ย Streak:ย Won 28
Last Meeting:ย W 17-8 (March 6, 2022 - Chris Kjeldsen Pool - Stockton, Calif.)
RECAPPING LAST WEEK
UCLA posted two impressive wins last week, going 2-0 in the MPSF with a 12-7 win over No. 5 California (March 8) and downing No. 15 Indiana, 19-9 (March 9)ย at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center.ย
- From game recap (3/8): No. 4 UCLA (12-3, 2-0 MPSF) rallied to pick up a huge win on Saturday afternoon with a 12-7 victory over No. 5 California (12-2, 1-1 MPSF) at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center in a rematch of the 2024 NCAA Championship game. With their fourth-straight win over the Golden Bears, the Bruins improved to 66-14ย in the series history.ย Only five Bruins scored against California, paced by a season-high-tying four goals from juniorย Taylor Smithย and redshirt juniorย Emma Lineback. Smith added two assists to finish with a team-high six points, one ahead of Lineback who added an assist to finish with five points. Seniorย Molly Rennerย was the third Bruin to score multiple goals in the win, finishing with two against the Golden Bears.ย Steele got the start in the cage and went the distance, tallying 16 saves to go with one assist while allowing just seven goals.
- From game recap (3/9): No. 4 UCLA (13-3, 3-0 MPSF) cruised to a 17-11 win on Sunday morningย over No. 15 Indiana (12-6, 0-2ย MPSF) in league play at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center. With the win over the Hoosiers, the Bruins improved to 21-0 in the series history.ย A total of 11 Bruins scored against Indiana, paced by a season-high-tying four goals from juniorย Taylor Smith. The Bruins also received hat tricks from juniorsย Bia Mantellatoย andย Anna Pearson. Sophomoreย Olivia Ouelletteย was the only other Bruin to score multiple goals with a season- and career-high two against IU.ย Steele got the start in the cage and played 31 of 32 minutes, tallying nine saves to go with two steals and one assist while allowing eight goals. Sophomoreย Joey Nizย played one minute down the stretch, allowing one score.
The UCLA Bruins have announced they will host Team USA in an exhibition match with the Senior Women's National Team on Saturday, March 22. Game time is slated for 1:00 p.m. (PT) at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center.
SMITH NAMED MPSF/DELFINA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Juniorย attackerย Taylor Smithย was named the MPSF/Delfina Player of the Weekย as announced by the league office (March 11).ย Smith (Newport Beach, Calif. / Newport Harbor HS)ย scored a season-high-tying four goals in back-to-back MPSF home games, helping the Bruins defeat No. 5 California 12-7 (Marchย 8) and No. 15 Indiana 19-9 (Marchย 9).ย She added two assists for a game-high six points, to go with two steals, one field block, one earned exclusion, and won her only sprint of the game against Cal. In the win over the Hoosiers, she also finished as the game-high scorer with five points, adding one assist. Smith added a field block and won a sprint against IU.ย This is the fourth career MPSF weekly award for Smith.
LINEBACK, WALTERS SWEEP WEEKLY MPSF AWARDS
Redshirt junior attackerย Emma Linebackย was named the MPSF/Delfina Player of the Week and freshman attackerย Jojo Waltersย was named the MPSF/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Week as announced by the league office (March 4).ย Lineback (Laguna Beach, Calif.) scored in every quarter, finishing with a career-high-tying five goals on six shots to lead the No. 4 Bruins to an impressive 24-11 win over No. 6 Fresno State (March 1). She added an assist for a game-high-tying six points, picked up one steal, and won her only sprint of the game.ย This is the second career MPSF weekly award for Lineback, and first as player of the week.ย Walters (Dallas, Texas) scored multiple goals in a game for just the second time in her young career, netting two scores on three shots to help the Bruins snap a two-game losing streak and remain undefeated against the Bulldogs (9-0) in the series history in UCLA's home opener. She scored on a power play in the first period and on a strike from the front court in the second period against the Bulldogs.ย This is the first career MPSF weekly award for Walters.
PEARSON NAMED MPSF/DELFINA PLAYER OF THE WEEK, AGAIN
Juniorย utilityย Anna Pearsonย was named the MPSF/Delfina Player of the Weekย as announced by the league office (Feb. 18).ย Pearson (Irvine, Calif. / Orange Lutheran HS)ย was at her best when it was needed, leading UCLA to a 16-15 come-from-behind win at No. 6 UC Irvine with a team-high-tying and season-high-tying four goals (on five shots). She added an assist to score five total points and also registered a career-high nine drawn exclusions to go with one steal and one field block. She had a hand in three of the Bruins' four goals in the fourth quarter.ย Pearson drew a penalty (her second of the game) that UCLA converted to tie the match at 13-13 at the 7:44 mark of the fourth period. Then she drew an exclusion and scored on the ensuing power play (2:58) to tie the game at 14-14. On the next possession, she recorded a field block and turned it into her fourth goal of the contest on a counter attack to give UCLA its first lead of the game at 15-14 with 2:35 to go. She recorded a steal on the next possession (2:08) to provide a defensive stop. UCLA called timeout and she drew her third exclusion of the fourth (1:42), but the Anteaters got a stop on the power play. UCLA would add an insurance goal to go up 16-14 with 0:38 seconds remaining. UC Irvine scored with seven seconds left to provide the 16-15 final.ย This is Pearson's fifth career MPSF award and the third time she has been named Player of the Week (Jan. 30, 2024, Jan. 18, 2025), and the second time this season.
PEARSON NAMED MPSF/DELFINA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Juniorย utilityย Anna Pearsonย was named the MPSF/Delfina Player of the Weekย as announced by the league office (Jan. 28).ย UCLA went 3-0 this past week at the California Cup with a 17-8 win over No. 15 UC Davis and a 12-7 win over No. 8 Long Beach State on Saturdayย (Jan. 25)ย and an 18-14 win over No. 9 Fresno State on Sunday (Jan.26). The three wins to open the season extended the Bruins' winning streak to 29 games.ย Pearson (Irvine, Calif. / Orange Lutheran HS) led the team in scoring on the weekend with 11 goals. She scored a hat trick and drew five exclusions and added one steal in the win over the Aggies and then tallied two goals, two earned exclusions, and one steal against the Beach. She closed out the tournament with a career-high six goals (on six shots) to go with three earned exclusions and one assist.ย For the weekend, she shot 11-for-12 (.917), drew 10 exclusions, had two steals, and tallied one assist.ย This is Pearson's fourth career MPSF award and the second time she has been named Player of the Week (Jan. 30, 2024).
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
A total of seven All-Americans will be suiting up for UCLA in 2025. The Bruins return three of their five All-Americans from the 2024 season, including two first-teamers, and picked up another one from the transfer portal for the 2025 campaign. Sophomoreย goalkeeperย Lauren Steeleย (Old Greenwich, Conn./Orange Lutheran HS) and junior utility Anna Pearson (Irvine, Calif./Orange Lutheran HS) both earned First-Team All-America honors last year and are joined by First-Team All-America transfer from Hawai'i, Bia Mantellatoย (São Paulo, Brazil/Newport Harbor HS). Steele, who was named the MVP of both the NCAA and MPSF Championship Tournaments,ย was also the 2024 ACWPC Player of the Year. The 2024 MPSF Newcomer of the Year, Steele started every game last year in the cage, going 26-0 with 268 saves (ranks fourth on UCLA's single-season charts). Pearson led the team in goals (39) and drawn exclusions (82) in 2024. Mantellato, a two-time Big West Player of the Year (2023 and 2024), led the Rainbow Wahine in goals (64) and drawn exclusions (60). Like Steele, Mantellato was also a Cutino Award finalistย (two of the three from 2024 are now Bruins). Junior attacker Taylor Smith (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS)ย earned Third-Team All-America accolades a year ago after finishing third on the team in goals (35) and in total points (53) with 18 assists to her credit and returns to the lineup. UCLA is also fortunate to have two Honorable Mention All-Americans from 2023 returning in redshirt sophomore utility Sienna Green (Mosman, Australia/SCEGGS Darlinghurst) and redshirt junior attacker Emma Lineback (Laguna Beach, Calif./Laguna Beach HS). Green won a silver medal with Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and was third on the team in goals (39) in 2023. Lineback paced the Bruins' offense in 2023 with a team-high in goals (52), assists (27), total points (79), and in steals (24).ย Senior attacker Molly Renner earned Honorable Mention All-America honors in 2022 and was sixth on the team last year in goals (22) and returns for her final season.ย The Bruins lost the services of First-Team All-American Hannah Palmer (26ย goals) and Third-Team All-American Malia Allen (33 goals). UCLA also lost the services ofย utilityย Panni Szegediย (Budapest, Hungary/Kolping Katolikus Iskola), who was the lone Bruin to receive Delfina All-MPSF Honorable Mention accolades a year ago after tying Pearson for the team lead in goals (39).
EXPERIENCE BETWEEN THE POSTS
All four of UCLA's goalkeepers on the 2025 roster saw playing time last season. The Bruins have a wealth of experience in the cage and National Player of the Year, Lauren Steele, headlines a group that includes juniorย Izzy Rosensitto (Newport Beach, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic HS), seniorย MJ Bailey (Sarasota, Fla./Pine View School), andย sophomoreย Joey Niz (Los Alamitos, Calif./Los Alamitosย HS).ย Sydney Chiang (Temple City, Calif./Temple City HS) was the lone loss (graduation) at this position.
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ANOTHER INFLUX OF YOUTH
The Bruins had 11 true freshmen join the ranks in 2024 and welcome in another eight this season. That class is bolstered by two redshirts from last year, putting the total of freshmen and sophomores to 18 on the 2025 roster. That is a total of 18 of the Bruins' 29 student-athletes (62.1 percent) on the roster with only one year or less of collegiate experience. The eight true freshmen include Kenya Cassidy (Atherton, Calif./Menlo School), Ryan Chalupnik (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS), Aubrey Graham (Mountain View, Calif./Mountain View HS), Jenna Human (El Cajon, Calif./Santana HS),ย Ana Pieper (Orinda, Calif./Campolindo HS), Tali Stryker (Lafayette, Calif./Miramonte HS), Maile Turner (Danville, Calif./Monte Vista HS), and Jojo Walters (Dallas, Texas/Southlake Carroll HS). The class is joined by redshirts Alexsa Gimenez (Commerce, Calif./Downey HS) and Camille Greenlee (Carlsbad, Calif./The Bishop's School).
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MORE BRUINS LOOKING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
UCLA also returns nine players from its 2024 roster that all made significant contributions to the Bruins' undefeated NCAA title run last season. That group includes sophomoresย Dania Innis (Orinda, Calif./Miramonte HS), Natasha Kieckhafer (San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic HS),ย Becca Melanson (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny HS), Olivia Ouellette (Los Alamitos, Calif./Los Alamitos HS), and Elektra Urbatsch (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day School), juniors Lily Gess (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS), Carly McMurray (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic HS), and Genoa Rossi (Laguna Beach, Calif./Mater Dei HS), and senior Nicole Struss (Laguna Beach, Calif./Laguna Beach HS),
WRIGHT ON DECK
Adam Wright is in his eighth season as UCLA's head women's water polo coach in 2025 with an overall record of 165-39ย (.809) and an MPSF mark of 34-12 (.739). He 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 Top-seeded UCLA won its first league title since 2017 with a 10-4 win over fifth-ranked USC in the semifinals and a 13-10 win over third-ranked California in the finals of the 2024 MPSF Women's Water Polo Championship, which marked the first MPSF Championship for the Bruin women in the Wright era. Wright guided the Bruins to their eighth NCAA Championship and 12th National Championship in program history in 2024 with a perfect 26-0 record. It marked his first NCAA Championship with the women's program and he now has eight total titles, winning two as a player in 1999 and 2000, five as the Head Coach of the UCLA Men's Water Polo team (2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, and 2024) and last year's title with the Bruin women. Wright was named the MPSF and ACWPC National Coach of the year in 2024 and is the first Bruin Head Coach to earn the honor since Adam Krikorian won it in 2009. It is the eighth time a Bruin mentor has been named the national Coach of the Year.ย Wright guided UCLA to just its third undefeated season in program history,ย joining the 2005 (33-0) and 2008 (33-0) teams. Just five squads have everย had perfect runs to NCAA Championships, with USC doing it twice (2004 and 2016).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.
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RECAPPING 2024
Overall Record: 26-0 (1.000) | MPSF Record: 6-0 (1.000) |ย Final Ranking: 1st | NCAA Finish: 1stย |ย MPSFย Tournament Finish: 1st
The UCLA Bruins (26-0) captured their eighth NCAA Championship and 12th National Championship in program history with a 7-4 win at No. 3 California on May 12. UCLA completed just the third undefeated season in program history, joining the 2005 (33-0) and 2008 (33-0) teams. Just five squads have ever had perfect runs to NCAA Championships, with USC doing it twice (2004 and 2016).ย The Bruins registered the 123rd NCAA title in UCLA athletic department history. UCLA women's water polo has won 12 national championships in all, with four predating the first NCAA title. Head coachย Adam Wright, who has guided the UCLA men's water polo program to five NCAA titles (2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, and 2024), did so for the first time at the helm of the women's team.
UCLA IN THEย CWPA POLL
The Bruins held steady at No. 4 in theย 2025ย CWPAย National Women's Varsity Top 25 Poll (88 points), released on March 12.
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| 2025 Women's Varsity Top 25 (Week 8/March 12) | |||
| Rank | Team | Week 7 Poll | Points |
| ย 1 | ย Stanford | ย 1 | ย 100 |
| ย 2 | ย USC | ย 2 | ย 96 |
| ย 3 | ย Hawai'i | ย 3 | ย 92 |
| ย 4 | ย UCLA | ย 4 | ย 88 |
| ย 5 | ย California | ย 5 | ย 84 |
| ย 6 (T) | ย Fresno State | ย 6 | ย 78 |
| ย 6 (T) | ย Long Beach State | ย 7 | ย 78 |
| ย 8 (T) | ย Harvard | ย 8 | ย 68 |
| ย 8 (T) | ย UC Irvine | ย 13 (T) | ย 68 |
| ย 10 | ย Arizona State | ย 10 | ย 66 |
| ย 11 | ย UC San Diego | ย 9 | ย 60 |
| ย 12 | ย Princeotn | ย 11 | ย 57 |
| ย 13 | ย LMU | ย 13 (T) | ย 52 |
| ย 14 | ย UC Davis | ย 16 | ย 50 |
| ย 15 | ย Wagner | ย 17 | ย 41 |
| ย 16 | ย Michigan | ย 12 | ย 40 |
| ย 17 | ย Indiana | ย 15 | ย 38 |
| ย 18 | ย San Jose State | ย 18 | ย 33 |
| ย 19 | ย UC Santa Barbara | ย 19 | ย 29 |
| ย 20 (T) | ย San Diego State | ย 20 | ย 16 |
| ย 20 (T) | ย Pacific | ย 21 (T) | ย 16 |
| ย 22 | ย Marist | ย RV | ย 14 |
| ย 23 | ย CSUN | 23 (T) | ย 13 |
| ย 24 | ย California Baptist University | ย 25 | ย 8 |
| ย 25 | ย Brown | ย 21 (T) | ย 5 |
| ย RV | ย LIU | ย RV | ย 4 |
| ย RV | ย Pomona-Pitzer | ย RV | ย 1 |
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/ Women's Water PoloNo. 4 UCLA vs. No. 3 Hawai'i Highlights
Monday, April 14
Highlights - UCLA W. Water Polo vs. Princeton (March 13, 2025)
Friday, March 14
UCLA vs. Princeton
Thursday, March 13
No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 15 Indiana
Sunday, March 09