Saturday, March 8
Los Angeles
1:00 PM (PT)
UCLA
vs
California
No. 4 UCLA hosts No. 5 California (Sat.) and No. 15 Indiana (Sun.) in key MPSF games this weekend.
Photo by: Hritika Chaturvedi
No. 4 UCLA Hosts No. 5 California, No. 15 Indiana, In Key MPSF Games
March 06, 2025 | Women's Water Polo
LOS ANGELES โ No. 4 UCLA (11-3, 1-0 MPSF) hosts No. 5 Californiaย (12-1, 1-0 MPSF) and No. 15 Indiana (12-4, 0-0 MPSF) in key MPSF games this weekend. The Bruins will host the Golden Bears on Saturday, March 8ย at 1:00 p.m. PT at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center. UCLA will concluded the weekend with the Hoosiers on Sunday, March 9 at 11:00 a.m. PT.ย The Bruins will provide live stats on the 6-8 Sports platform and both games will be streamed live on Overnght.com.
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Saturday, March 8 (MPSFย Gameย โ Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Centerย โย Los Angeles)
1:00 PM PT โ No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 5 Californiaย |ย LIVE STATS |ย WATCH
Sunday, March 9 (MPSFย Gameย โ Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Centerย โย Los Angeles)
11:00 AM PT โ No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 15 Indianaย |ย LIVE STATS |ย WATCH
SERIES HISTORY
This is the 80th meeting between UCLA and Californiaย with the Bruins leading the series 65-14. The Bruins swept the season series last year, winning 7-6 at California in league play on April 13, defeating the Golden Bears, 13-10, in the MPSF Championship game on April 28, and beating Cal in the NCAA Championship game, 7-4, on May 12 in Berkeley, Calif.
- From game recap (5/12/24): No. 1 UCLA (26-0) captured its eighth NCAA Championship and its 12th National Championship in program history with a 7-4 win at No. 3 California (19-7) on Sunday evening at Spieker Aquatics Complex. With the win, UCLA improved to 65-14 all-time against the Golden Bears.ย UCLA completed just the third undefeated season in program history, joining the 2005 (33-0) and 2008 (33-0) teams. Just five squads ever have now 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 one. Head coachย Adam Wright, who has guided the UCLA men's water polo program to four NCAA titles, did so for the first time at the helm of the women's team.
- From game recap (4/28/24): NoNo. 1 UCLA (23-0, 6-0 MPSF) won its 12th MPSF Championship in program history, and its first since 2017, with a 13-10 win over No. 3 California (17-6) on Sunday afternoon at Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center. With the win, UCLA improved to 64-14 all-time against the Golden Bears.ย UCLA had eight different players score in the contest, which was double what the Bruins had last time out against the Golden Bears. The Bruins were paced by hat tricks from seniorย Malia Allenย and sophomoreย Taylor Smith. Both players added an assist to finish with game-high scoring honors for the Bruins with four points.ย Graduate studentย Hannah Palmerย joined the pair in game-high scoring honors with four points (two goals and two assists).ย Freshmanย Lauren Steeleย got the start in the cage and played the majority of the game, recording 14 saves and one steal while surrendering nine goals. Seniorย Sydney Chiangย came on in relief for the final 1:41 of the fourth quarter and allowed one goal.
- From game recap (4/13/24): Top-ranked UCLA (20-0, 5-0 MPSF) remained undefeated on the year with a huge 7-6 road win at No. 5 California (13-5, 2-2 MPSF)ย on Saturday afternoon at Spieker Aquatics Complex. With the win, UCLA improved to 63-14 all-time against the Golden Bears.ย UCLA had just four different players score in the contest, paced by a hat trick from seniorย Malia Allen. She also added an assist to finish with game-high scoring honors for the Bruins with four points. Graduate studentย Brooke Dotenย chipped in two scores to become the only other multiple goal scorer for the Bruins. Graduate studentย Hannah Palmerย and juniorย Molly Rennerย each scored three points (two assists and a goal).ย Steele got the start in the cage and went the distance, recording 20 saves (one off of her own UCLA freshman record of 21 in a win at No. 10 UC Irvine on Feb. 24). She and the Bruins' defense held California to a season-low-tyingย six goals.
- From game recap (3/2/24): No. 1 UCLA (15-0, 2-0 MPSF) scored the first four goals of the game and cruised to a 13-9 win over No. 14 Indiana (14-3, 0-1 MPSF)ย on Saturday morning at Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. UCLA improved to 20-0 all-time in the series history with the Hoosiers.ย The Bruins had eight players score in the contest, paced by two goals each from freshmanย Panni Szegediย and juniorย Molly Renner. Sophomoreย Anna Pearsonย was the only other Bruin to score multiple goals, finishing with two goals on two shots.ย Freshmanย Lauren Steeleย got the start in the cage and played the first half, recording nine saves, two steals and one assist, while allowing just one goal. Freshmanย Joey Nizย played the entire second half, tallying six stops while surrendering eight goals.
UCLA posted an impressive 24-11 win over No. 6 Fresno State in its home opener on March 1, 2025 at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center in its only game of the week.ย
- From game recap (3/1): No. 4 UCLA (11-3, 1-0 MPSF) returned to the friendly confines of Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center and saw its offense come to life in a 24-11 win overย No. 6 Fresno State (7-6) on Saturday afternoon in the Bruins' home opener. UCLA extended its winning streak to 9-0 against the Bulldogs in the series history.ย A total of 11 different Bruins scored against Fresno State, paced by a career-high-tying five goals for redshirt juniorย Emma Lineback, who also added an assist for a team-high six points. Junior transferย Bia Mantellatoย also scored five goals against the Bulldogs. Juniorย Anna Pearsonย scored her sixth hat trick of the season. Three other Bruins scored multiple goals in the win, which included two scores each from juniorย Lily Gess, sophomoreย Becca Melanson, and freshmanย Jojo Walters.ย Steele got the start in the cage and went the distance, tallying a season-high 18 saves to go with fourย steals and three assists while allowing 11 goals.
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.
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 (Mar. 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 163-39ย (.807) and an MPSF mark of 32-12 (.727). 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 5.
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| 2025 Women's Varsity Top 25 (Week 7/March 5) | |||
| Rank | Team | Week 6 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 | ย Fresno State | ย 6 | ย 76 |
| ย 7 | ย Long Beach State | ย 7 | ย 74 |
| ย 8 | ย Harvard | ย 8 (T) | ย 73 |
| ย 9 | ย UC San Diego | ย 8 (T) | ย 67 |
| ย 10 | ย Arizona State | ย 11 | ย 66 |
| ย 11 | ย Princeton | ย 13 (T) | ย 58 |
| ย 12 | ย Michigan | ย 17 | ย 52 |
| ย 13 (T) | ย UC Irvineย | 10 | ย 51 |
| ย 13 (T) | ย LMU | ย 12 | ย 51 |
| ย 15 | ย Indiana | ย 15 | ย 49 |
| ย 16 | ย UC Davis | ย 13 (T) | ย 42 |
| ย 17 | ย Wagner | ย 16 | ย 38 |
| ย 18 | ย San Jose State | ย 18 | ย 32 |
| ย 19 | ย UC Santa Barbara | ย 19 | ย 25 |
| ย 20 | ย San Diego Stateย | ย 20 | ย 22 |
| ย 21 (T) | ย Marist College | ย 24 (T) | ย 13 |
| ย 21 (T) | ย California Baptist University | ย 24 (T) | ย 13 |
| ย 23 (T) | ย Villanova | ย RV | ย 12 |
| ย 23 (T) | ย Pacific | ย 23 | ย 12 |
| ย 25 | ย Brown | ย 22 | ย 7 |
| ย RV | ย Pomona-Pitzer | ย 21 | ย 4 |
| ย RV | ย CSUNย | ย RV | ย 3 |
| ย RV | ย LIU | ย RV | ย 1 |
Players Mentioned
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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