University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
2026 Women's Water Polo Roster
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Jersey Number 1
Lauren Steele
- Position:
- Goalkeeper
- Height:
- 6-0
- Class:
- Junior
- High School:
- Orange Lutheran HS
- Hometown:
- Old Greenwich, Conn.
UCLA CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
โข ACWPC National Player of the Yearย (2024)
โข 2-time ACWPC All-American (First Team - 2024; Second Team - 2025)
โข Cutino Award Finalistย (2024)
โข 2-time All-MPSF (First Team - 2025; Second Team - 2024)
โข MPSF Newcomer of the Year (2024)
โข MPSFย All-Newcomer Team (2024)
โข NCAA Championship Most Valuable Player (2024)
โข NCAA All-Tournament Teamย (First Team - 2024)
โข MPSF Championship Most Valuable Playerย (2024)
โข 3-time MPSF Player of the Week (Feb. 27, 2024, Apr. 2, 2024, Apr. 16, 2024)
โข 4-time MPSF Newcomer of the Week (Jan. 23, 2024, Feb. 27, 2024, Apr. 16, 2024, Apr. 23, 2024)
โข UCLA Student-Athleteย of the Week (Apr. 16, 2024)
โข ACWPC All-Academic Honors (Excellent - 2024)
โข MPSF All-Academic Team (2025)
โข Big Ten Spring Academic Honor Roll (2025)
โข 5-timeย UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll (Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025)
2025
Played in 25-of-26 games, making 25 starts while posting an 18-6 record on the year in the cage โฆ registered 259 saves (11.59 per game), which the total ranks sixth all-time on UCLA's single-season charts โฆ she also had 46 steals (led the team and ranked third in the MPSF) and 15 assists (ninth on the team) โฆ also scored six goals on 23 shots (.261) โฆ she scored a season-high and career-high-tying two goals in a win over No. 9 Fresno State on Jan. 26 at the California Cup โฆ had a goals against average of 9.63 on the year (217 goals allowed in 90.156 quarters played) โฆ collected a season-high and career-high-tying 21 saves in the double overtime loss to No. 2 Stanford in the MPSF Championship game at home on April 27.
2024
Played in all 26 games, making 26 starts while posting a 26-0 record on the year in the cage โฆ registered 268 saves (12.95 per game), which the total ranks fourth all-time on UCLA's single-season charts and is a Bruin freshman record โฆ she also had 39 steals (led the team) and eight assists โฆ also scored seven goals on 27 shots (.259) โฆ she scored a season-high two goals twice, in a win at No. 12 UC Santa Barbara at the UCSB Winter Invitational (Jan. 21) and in a 15-8 win over No. 3 Stanford (Mar. 30)ย โฆ had a goals against average of 6.72 on the year (139 goals allowed in 82.771 quarters played) โฆ collected a season-high 21 saves in a win at No. 10 UC Irvine (Feb. 24) at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational โฆ it marked the most saves by a Bruin goalkeeper since Caitlin Dement registered 22 stops in an 8-3 win over UC Davis on Feb. 21, 2010.
HIGH SCHOOL
Was a three-time letterwinner in water polo at Orange Lutheran High School โฆ named CIF Southern Section Open Division Player of the Year and Trinity League Player of the Year in 2023 โฆ played club at LAMO (Lamorinda Water Polo Club) โฆ earned First-Team All-Junior Olympics honors in 2023 โฆ helped lead U.S. Womenโs Youth Team to a first-place finish at the 2022 FINA Youth World Championship as well as a gold medal at the 2022 Pan American U17 Championships โฆ named OC Registerโs 2023 Player of the Year.
PERSONAL
Full name: Lauren Jane Steele โฆ born in Greenwich, Conn. โฆ parents are John and Joanne Steele โฆ has an older sister, Jacquie, and an older brother, John โฆ her uncle, Thomas James Laughlin (ring name Tommy Dreamer), is a professional wrestler โฆ lists her greatest athletic thrill as the comeback CIF Championship victory with Orange Lutheran HS in 2023 โฆ decided to attend UCLA because of the โcombination of amazing academics and athleticsโ โฆ hobbies include going to the beach, surfing, hanging out with friends and any outdoor or sports activity โฆ lists Alex Morgan, the late Kobe Bryant, and Serena Williams as athletes she admiresย โฆ major is political science.
ย
ย
โข ACWPC National Player of the Yearย (2024)
โข 2-time ACWPC All-American (First Team - 2024; Second Team - 2025)
โข Cutino Award Finalistย (2024)
โข 2-time All-MPSF (First Team - 2025; Second Team - 2024)
โข MPSF Newcomer of the Year (2024)
โข MPSFย All-Newcomer Team (2024)
โข NCAA Championship Most Valuable Player (2024)
โข NCAA All-Tournament Teamย (First Team - 2024)
โข MPSF Championship Most Valuable Playerย (2024)
โข 3-time MPSF Player of the Week (Feb. 27, 2024, Apr. 2, 2024, Apr. 16, 2024)
โข 4-time MPSF Newcomer of the Week (Jan. 23, 2024, Feb. 27, 2024, Apr. 16, 2024, Apr. 23, 2024)
โข UCLA Student-Athleteย of the Week (Apr. 16, 2024)
โข ACWPC All-Academic Honors (Excellent - 2024)
โข MPSF All-Academic Team (2025)
โข Big Ten Spring Academic Honor Roll (2025)
โข 5-timeย UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll (Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025)
2025
Played in 25-of-26 games, making 25 starts while posting an 18-6 record on the year in the cage โฆ registered 259 saves (11.59 per game), which the total ranks sixth all-time on UCLA's single-season charts โฆ she also had 46 steals (led the team and ranked third in the MPSF) and 15 assists (ninth on the team) โฆ also scored six goals on 23 shots (.261) โฆ she scored a season-high and career-high-tying two goals in a win over No. 9 Fresno State on Jan. 26 at the California Cup โฆ had a goals against average of 9.63 on the year (217 goals allowed in 90.156 quarters played) โฆ collected a season-high and career-high-tying 21 saves in the double overtime loss to No. 2 Stanford in the MPSF Championship game at home on April 27.
2024
Played in all 26 games, making 26 starts while posting a 26-0 record on the year in the cage โฆ registered 268 saves (12.95 per game), which the total ranks fourth all-time on UCLA's single-season charts and is a Bruin freshman record โฆ she also had 39 steals (led the team) and eight assists โฆ also scored seven goals on 27 shots (.259) โฆ she scored a season-high two goals twice, in a win at No. 12 UC Santa Barbara at the UCSB Winter Invitational (Jan. 21) and in a 15-8 win over No. 3 Stanford (Mar. 30)ย โฆ had a goals against average of 6.72 on the year (139 goals allowed in 82.771 quarters played) โฆ collected a season-high 21 saves in a win at No. 10 UC Irvine (Feb. 24) at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational โฆ it marked the most saves by a Bruin goalkeeper since Caitlin Dement registered 22 stops in an 8-3 win over UC Davis on Feb. 21, 2010.
HIGH SCHOOL
Was a three-time letterwinner in water polo at Orange Lutheran High School โฆ named CIF Southern Section Open Division Player of the Year and Trinity League Player of the Year in 2023 โฆ played club at LAMO (Lamorinda Water Polo Club) โฆ earned First-Team All-Junior Olympics honors in 2023 โฆ helped lead U.S. Womenโs Youth Team to a first-place finish at the 2022 FINA Youth World Championship as well as a gold medal at the 2022 Pan American U17 Championships โฆ named OC Registerโs 2023 Player of the Year.
PERSONAL
Full name: Lauren Jane Steele โฆ born in Greenwich, Conn. โฆ parents are John and Joanne Steele โฆ has an older sister, Jacquie, and an older brother, John โฆ her uncle, Thomas James Laughlin (ring name Tommy Dreamer), is a professional wrestler โฆ lists her greatest athletic thrill as the comeback CIF Championship victory with Orange Lutheran HS in 2023 โฆ decided to attend UCLA because of the โcombination of amazing academics and athleticsโ โฆ hobbies include going to the beach, surfing, hanging out with friends and any outdoor or sports activity โฆ lists Alex Morgan, the late Kobe Bryant, and Serena Williams as athletes she admiresย โฆ major is political science.
ย
| LAUREN STEELE'S CAREER STATISTICS | ||||||
| Year | GP/GS | QP | SV | GA | GAA | MP |
| 2024 | 26/26 | 82.771 | 268 | 139 | 6.72 | 662:10 |
| 2025 | 25/25 | 90.156 | 259 | 217 | 9.63 | 721:15 |
| Totals | 51/51 | 172.927 | 527 | 356 | 8.23 | 1383:25 |
ย
No. 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
