ON DECK THIS WEEK
No. 2 UCLA begins its regular season at home, where it will host No. 22 Loyola Marymount as part of Saturday's UCLA Invitational. Play between the Bruins and Lions will begin at 9:00 a.m. PT. UCLA will also face crosstown rival No. 2 USC in a pair of exhibitions (10:15 a.m., 12:45 p.m.). All action will take place at the Sunset Canyon Recreation Center Park Pool on campus.
9:00 a.m. – UCLA vs. Loyola Marymount
10:15 a.m. – UCLA vs. USC (Exhibition)
11:30 a.m. – LMU vs. USC
12:15 p.m. – UCLA vs. USC (Exhibition)
2:30 p.m. – UCLA Alumnae Game
SERIES HISTORY
The Bruins hold a 25-1 advantage over LMU and have won 10 games in a row against the Lions. The teams last squared off March 5, 2016, when UCLA notched a 17-4 victory at the Wolverine Invitational in Ann Arbor, Mich. Lizette Rozeboom led the way with a hat trick, while Devin Grab was one of four Bruins to score twice.
WHO'S BACK?
Leading scorer Maddie Musselman is back for the Bruins. The sophomore is coming off a debut season in which she scored a UCLA freshman-record 69 goals and picked up a plethora of honors, including First-Team ACWPC All-American recognition and the MPSF Newcomer of the Year award. The conference-record seven-time MPSF Newcomer of the Week winner also led the Bruins with 48 steals. Starter and MPSF All-Newcomer Team member Bronte Halligan returns after scoring 25 goals in her first season stateside, while Grab (42 goals in 2016) rejoins the fold after an injury-shortened 2017. Lefty Rozeboom's (64 career goals) scoring prowess also figures to be tapped into plenty in 2018. Junior Carlee Kapana is back in goal after her first full season as a starter, bringing All-MPSF Honorable Mention and NCAA All-Tournament First-Team honors with her.
WHO'S NEW?
Newcomers Jahmea Bent, Lexi Liebowitz, Myna Simmons, Roxy Wheaton and Hannah Zari join the fold. Bent (6-0, GK, Los Angeles, Calif.) participated in the National Junior Olympics with Rose Bowl Water Polo Club. Liebowitz (5-8, ATK, Danville, Calif.) is currently a member of the USA Junior National Team alongside fellow Bruins Kapana and Rachel Whitelegge and brings Senior National Team experience, as well. Simmons (5-10, ATK, Orange, Calif.) earned All-CIF-SS First-Team hhonors at Orange Lutheran HS in 2015-16 and 2016-17. Wheaton (5-9, ATK, Walnut Creek, Calif.) was named the 18U MVP of the 2017 National Junior Olympics as a member of 680 Drivers Water Polo Club. Zari (5-11, C, Fair Oaks, Calif.) is a junior transfer from American River College, where she led the Beavers in goals and earned exclusions each year while leading all California junior colleges in earned exclusions in 2016-17.
WHO'S GONE?
UCLA will look to fill the void left by its seven departed seniors, including Cutino Award nominee Rachel Fattal. Starters Kodi Hill, Alexa Tielmann and Alys Williams are also gone. Mackenzie Barr, Aubrie Monahan and Kelsey O'Brien round out the Class of 2017, which accounted for 199 goals, 146 assists and 132 steals last season. Fattal was named an ACWPC First-Team All-American for the fourth time in her career in 2017, while Hill (Second Team) and Williams (Third Team) also earned All-American accolades. Fattal (First Team), Hill (Second Team) and Williams (Honorable Mention) were also honored with All-MPSF recognition.
THE WRIGHT WAY
Adam Wright, who has coached the UCLA men's water polo team to three NCAA Championships (2014, 2015, 2017), will now guide both the UCLA men's and women's water polo teams, Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero announced July 20, 2017. Wright has an overall record of 227-37 (.860) and an MPSF mark of 51-12 (.810). From 2014-16, Wright's Bruins set an NCAA record with 57 consecutive victories and a conference record with 26 consecutive MPSF wins. Prior to becoming head coach of the men's program in 2009, he served as an assistant coach with the men's and women's teams during the 2008-09 school year, helping the women win an unprecedented fifth consecutive NCAA Championship in May 2009.
FAMILIAR FACES
Wright completed his staff on Aug. 31, 2017 with the hiring of Kodi Hill, who joined Dusty Litvak as an assistant coach. A 2017 graduate of UCLA, Hill was an instrumental member of a Bruin class that amassed a record of 105-17 over its four years in the pool. Litvak previously served under Wright in the same role for the men's team during 2013 and 2014 and worked in a volunteer capacity with the women's team each of the past two seasons.
BRUINS TIED FOR SECOND
The Collegiate Water Polo Association announced its preseason rankings Friday, and the Bruins found themselves slotted in a tie for second with the Trojans. The crosstown rivals each received 93 points, six points behind top-ranked and defending-champion Stanford. California (91 points) and Arizona State (82) round out the Top 5. UCLA was previously voted tied for third with USC in the preseason MPSF rankings, behind Stanford and Cal and in front ASU and San Jose State, respectively.