No. 2 Women's Water Polo Set for Home Opener Saturday

Saturday, February 7

Los Angeles, Calif.

1:00 PM (PT)

UCLA

No. 12 UC Irvine

Anna Pearson (Photo: Steve Urbatsch)

No. 2 Women's Water Polo Set for Home Opener Saturday

February 05, 2026 | Women's Water Polo

The second-ranked UCLA women's water polo team (6-0) opens its home slate of games Saturday when it welcomes No. 12 UC Irvine (3-5) to Spieker Aquatics Center. Play begins at 1 p.m. PT. The Bruins are coming off a run to the Triton Invitational championship that catapulted them ahead of crosstown rival USC in the latest CWPA poll. Overnght provides live video coverage of all home UCLA games, with live stats available on 6-8 Sports. Admission is free. The USA Artistic Swimming Team is set to make an appearance in Dirks Pool at halftime, performing its silver-medal-winning routine from the 2024 Paris Olympics.

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Opponent: No. 12 UC Irvine
Venue: Spieker Aquatics Center
Date: Saturday, Feb. 7
Time: 1 p.m. PT
Watch: https://www.overnght.com/player/c6379702-bc89-455d-854f-95b402ce4fbb
Live Stats: https://scores.6-8sports.com/scoreboard/games/7c677a17-b414-4cba-af25-e6e790874a86/game-cast

SERIES HISTORY
Series vs. UC Irvine: UCLA leads 39-0
Most Recent vs. UC Irvine: UCLA won 16-8 on Feb. 22, 2025 (Recap)

LAST TIME OUT
The third-ranked Bruins captured the Triton Invitational championship Sunday after winning four games in three days at UC San Diego's Canyonview Aquatic Center in La Jolla, Calif. Each of the Bruins' final three opponents was ranked – including No. 2 USC, which it beat in the championship match by a 12-9 score (Feb. 1). En route to the final, UCLA knocked off Cal State Fullerton 22-4 (Jan. 30), No. 6 Arizona State 15-8 (Jan. 31) and No. 5 Hawai'i 14-5 (Jan. 31). Taylor Smith led the Bruins with 15 goals, including a career-high six against ASU.

SMITH VOTED MPSF/DEFINA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Taylor Smith was named MPSF/Delfina Player of the Week Tuesday after leading her team to the Triton Invitational championship. The senior attacker from Newport Beach, Calif. led the Bruins with 16 total points across four games. Of Smith's 16 points, 15 were goals. She opened play with a hat trick against Cal State Fullerton (Jan. 30). Smith then piled up a career-high six goals to help third-ranked UCLA defeat No. 6 Arizona State 15-8 before tacking on another the same day versus No. 5 Hawai'i (Jan. 31). The Bruins completed their run with a 12-9 upset of No. 2 USC in which Smith collected five more goals and assisted on another (Feb. 1). Over the three day-tournament, Smith added three steals, one field block and won five of six sprints. Smith has now won three MPSF Player of the Week awards in her career, also winning one in 2025 and another in 2024. She also earned a pair of Newcomer of the Week honors in 2023.

TOUGH COMPETITION
Of UCLA's first six opponents, five have been ranked in the top 10 of that week's CWPA Women's Varsity Top 25: No. 2 USC (Feb. 1 – 12-9), No. 5 Hawai'i (Jan. 31 – 14-5), No. 6 Arizona State (Jan. 31 – 15-8), No. 6 Long Beach State (Jan. 25 – 18-7) and No. 9 Fresno State (Jan. 25 – 14-6). The Bruins are undefeated in these games with an average goal differential of plus-7.6 (14.6-7.0).

UCLA IN THE CWPA POLL
UCLA moved up to No. 2 when the latest CWPA Women's Varsity Top 25 was released Wednesday. The Bruins had held steady at No. 3 in the first three editions. They received 96 points. Rounding out the top five were No. 1 Stanford (100), No. 3 USC (92), No. 4 California (89) and No. 5 Hawai'i (84). To view the full poll, click HERE.

RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
A total of six All-Americans will be suiting up for UCLA in 2026. The Bruins return all five of their All-Americans from the 2025 season, including First-Team selection, senior utility Anna Pearson (Irvine, Calif./Orange Lutheran HS). Junior goalkeeper Lauren Steele (Old Greenwich, Conn./Orange Lutheran HS) and RS-senior attacker Emma Lineback (Laguna Beach, Calif./Laguna Beach HS) both earned Second-Team All-American honors last year and are joined by Honorable Mention picks, senior center Bia Mantellato (São Paulo, Brazil/Newport Harbor HS) and senior utility Genoa Rossi (Laguna Beach, Calif./Mater Dei HS). The Bruins also retain the services of 2023 Third-Team All-American, senior attacker Taylor Smith (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS).

RETURNING ALL-MPSF PLAYERS
The list of returning all-league players is basically the same as the All-Americans list with one addition. Three Bruins earned Delfina All-MPSF First-Team accolades last year, and that included Anna Pearson, Emma Lineback, and Lauren Steele. Two Bruins landed on the Delfina All-MPSF Honorable Mention team, which included Genoa Rossi and Bia Mantellato. Sophomore attacker Tali Stryker (Lafayette, Calif./Miramonte HS) was the lone Bruin on the MPSF All-Newcomer Team a year ago. Taylor Smith was also named Second-Team All-MPSF in 2024.

EXPERIENCE BETWEEN THE POSTS
UCLA returns three goalkeepers who have all seen action in the cage for the Bruins. That list is headlined by two-time All-American, Lauren Steele. Also in that group is senior Izzy Rosensitto (Newport Beach, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic HS), and junior Joey Niz (Los Alamitos, Calif./Los Alamitos HS).

INFLUX OF YOUTH
Six true freshmen have arrived in Westwood and look to make an immediate impact in 2026. The class is bolstered by three redshirts from last year, putting the total number of freshmen to nine on this year's roster. The six true freshmen include Presley Jones (Laguna Beach, Calif./Laguna Beach HS), Ally Larsen (Orinda, Calif./Miramonte HS), Katherine O'Dea (Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow Wilson HS), Jailynn Robinson (Dallas, Texas/Orange Lutheran HS), Alison Sagara (Orinda, Calif./Miramonte HS), and Sienna Steiner (Sarasota, Fla./Venice HS). The three redshirt freshmen are Ryan Chalupnik (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS), Aubrey Graham (Mountain View, Calif./Mountain View HS), and Ana Pieper (Orinda, Calif./Campolindo HS).

TRANSFER PORTAL
The Bruins' 2026 roster has been bolstered by three transfers from inside the MPSF. Janna Tauscher (Sunset Beach, Calif./Mater Dei HS), the redshirt senior center from California has one year remaining, as does the senior defender from Arizona State, Zoë Frangieh (Los Gatos, Calif./Los Gatos HS). Also with one year remaining is senior attacker Fanni Muzsnay (Budapest, Hungary/Szabo Lorinc Bilingual HS), who transferred in from USC.

MORE BRUINS LOOKING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
UCLA also returns nine players from its 2025 roster that all made significant contributions last season. That group includes sophomores Jenna Human (El Cajon, Calif./Santana HS) and Jojo Walters (Dallas, Texas/Southlake Carroll HS), redshirt sophomores Dania Innis (Orinda, Calif./Miramonte HS), Alexsa Gimenez (Commerce, Calif./Downey HS), juniors 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), and seniors Lily Gess (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS) and Carly McMurray (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic HS), The Bruins will redshirt junior Natasha Kieckhafer (San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic HS) and sophomore Maile Turner (Danville, Calif./Monte Vista HS), who are both recovering from undisclosed injuries.

COACHING CHANGES
With two-time reigning MPSF Coach of the Year, Adam Wright, stepping away from day-to-day operations as UCLA's head women's water polo coach in 2026, two current Bruins coaches have been elevated to the post of interim Co-Head Coach. Jason Falitz, who has been the Associate Head Coach on the men's side since 2017 and at that same post with the women's team since the 2022 season, will serve as one of the Co-Head Coaches. Matt Kubeck, who just completed his second season as an Assistant Coach with the Bruins' men's squad will also serve as a Co-Head Coach with the women in 2026. The duo is currently 2-0 at UCLA. Additionally, UCLA has completed its coaching staff with Stanford standout Ryann Neushul to the post of Assistant Coach. She will travel with the Bruins this weekend for the Triton Invitational. Neushul is a four-time NCAA Champion, a four-time All-American, a two-time World Champion, and the 2025 Peter J. Cutino Award winner.

RECAPPING 2025
Overall Record: 20-6 (.769) | MPSF Record: 5-1 (.833) | Final Ranking: 3rd | NCAA Finish: T-3rd | MPSF Tournament Finish: 2nd The UCLA Bruins finished the season with the No. 1 seed heading into the MPSF Championship Tournament for the second straight year. But the Bruins were unable to successfully defend their MPSF and NCAA Tournament titles from a 26-0 season in 2024, falling in overtime, 11-9, to No. 1 Stanford at home in the MPSF final. Seeded second for the NCAA Championship, the Bruins fell to No. 3 USC, 15-13, in the semifinals.