WOODLAND, Calif. – In a vote by the league's head coaches, UCLA collected 26 points and was picked to finish third in the 2019 preseason MPSF Women's Water Polo Coaches' Poll, which was released by the conference office on Thursday.
Defending NCAA champion USC was first, earning the maximum possible totals of 36 points and six first-place votes. Stanford came in second with 31 points and one first-place vote while California was fourth with 20 points. Arizona State was fifth with 17 points and league newcomer Indiana had nine points in sixth. San Jose State rounded out the poll with eight points in seventh.
The UCLA women's water polo team opens its season on Friday, Jan. 18 at Campus Pool in Santa Barbara as the Bruins face CSUN at 3:15 p.m. PT in the first game of the UCSB Winter Invitational. UCLA will also face UC Irvine (Jan. 19 at 9:45 a.m.), Cal Baptist (Jan. 19 at 1:30 p.m.), Michigan (Jan. 20 at 11:00 a.m.), and UC Santa Barbara (Jan. 20 at 2:30 p.m.) at the UCSB tournament in the opening weekend of the season.
Coming off an NCAA Semifinal appearance in 2018, the Bruins return their top-three scorers and goalkeeper from that team, led by All-Americans Maddie Musselman (53 goals) and Carlee Kapana (9.21 SPG).
UCLA will open MPSF play at home on Sunday, Mar. 3 at Noon at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center against California. Two weeks later (Saturday, Mar. 16), the Bruins will travel Tempe, Ariz., for two more league games. The Bruins will face Arizona State at 10:30 a.m. and then MPSF newcomer Indiana at 3:00 p.m. The Bruins then host Pacific in their final non-conference game on Friday, Mar. 29 at 7:00 p.m. PT.
UCLA will close out the year with its final three MPSF games of the regular season, beginning with a road trip to face Stanford on the Pac-12 Network on Saturday, Apr. 6 at 3:00 p.m. and at San Jose State on Sunday, Apr. 7 at a time to be determined. The Bruins close out the regular season at home on Senior Day in the Crosstown Splashdown with USC on Saturday, Apr. 20. The game will also be televised on the Pac-12 Network and the time of the game won't be determined until the week before the contest.
Stanford will host both the MPSF Championship (Apr. 26-28) and the NCAA Championship (May 10-12).
Download the Bruin Calendar to sync the 2019 schedule to your personal calendar.
Second-year head coach Adam Wright returns his top three scorers and a stalwart in goal while adding a talented crop of freshman to NCAA-semifinalist UCLA.
Second-year head coach Adam Wright returns his top three scorers and a stalwart in goal while adding a talented crop of freshman to NCAA-semifinalist UCLA.