Friday, April 22
Los Angeles, CA
12:45 PM
UCLA
vs
Indiana
Sydney Chiang and the UCLA Bruins open MPSF Championship action at USC on Friday.
Photo by: Minette Rubin
Third-Seeded UCLA Heads to 2022 MPSF Championship
April 21, 2022 | Women's Water Polo
SOCIAL MEDIA: WWP on Twitter | WWP on Facebook | WWP on Instagram
LOS ANGELES โ No. 3 UCLA (22-3, 4-2 MPSF) opens the 2022 MPSF Women's Water Polo Championship as the three-seed and will face sixth-seeded Indiana (14-14, 1-5 MPSF) in the quarterfinals on Friday, Apr. 22ย atย 12:45 p.m. PT at Uytengsuย Aquatics Center. USC will provide a live stream and live stats on The FOSH.
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Friday, Apr. 22 (MPSF Quarterfinalsย โย Uytengsu Aquatics Center)
12:45ย PM PT โ No. 3 UCLAย vs. No. 6 Indiana |ย LIVE STATSย |ย WATCH
SERIES HISTORY
This is the 18th meeting between UCLA and Indianaย with the Bruins winning all 17 previous contests. UCLAย opened MPSF play as part of the Michigan Invitationalย with a 12-6 win over No. 10 Indianaย at Michigan's Canham Natatorium on Jan. 29, 2022.ย The Bruins were led by seniorย Katrina Drake, who had her second hat trick of the year. Seniorย Maddie Musselmanย led the Bruins in total points, scoring five points (all assists). She was also credited with two steals against the Hoosiers. Seniorย Bella Wentzelย scored a career-high-tying two goals against Indiana while juniorย Abbi Hillย made her season debut after missing last weekend and scored twice.ย Redshirt junior goalkeeperย Georgia Phillipsย got the start in the cage and went the distance, registeringย 14 saves while allowing six goals. She also tallied one steal and made one assist.ย Izzy Mandema led Indiana with a game-high four goals while goalkeeper Mary Askew registered 14 saves.
SIX BRUINS EARN SEVEN MPSF HONORS
Six different Bruinsย received seven honors from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, as announced by the conference office today.ย Redshirt senior attackerย Maddie Musselmanย was named the 2022 MPSF Player of the Year and was the only Bruin named First-Team All-MPSF. Musselman became the first Bruin since Sami Hill (2014) and eighth overall to be named the Player of the Year and also became the first woman in UCLA Water Polo history to become a four-time First-Team selection.ย Senior centerย Ava Johnsonย earned All-MPSF honors for the second time in her career. She was named a Second-Team All-MPSF performer after earning First-Team honors in 2021. Redshirt junior goalkeeperย Georgia Phillipsย was named Second-Team All-MPSFย for the second time in her career (2020).ย Junior utilityย Abbi Hillย garnered Honorable Mention All-MPSF accolades after being named First-Team in 2020.ย Two Bruin freshmen wereย on the MPSF All-Newcomer Team, which includedย Emma Linebackย andย Molly Renner.
MUSSELMAN BECOMES UCLA'S ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER
Redshirt senior Maddie Musselmanย scored two goals in the 14-8 win over No. 6 UC Irvine (Mar. 11) to become UCLA's all-time leading scorer with her 238th career goalย on a power play at the 6:23 mark of the third period. She also scored the final goal of the game with 2:51 left in the fourth period. Musselmanย (now with 242 goals) passed Kelly Rulon's (2003, 2005-07) career total of 237 goals.ย The 242.career goals also ranks 13th all-time in MPSF history.ย She also ranks 4th in career steals on the UCLA charts with 154, needing 14 to pass Katie Rulonย for third place (167). The all-time leader at UCLA is Rachel Fattal with 188.
- What Adam Wright had to say about the record
"I'm very happy for her.ย You talk about the history of this program, that's a pretty big-time record. It's nice to be a part of it, but more than the record, I'm proud of the impact that she has had on this program in all facets."
- What Maddie Musselman had to say about the achievement
"It's exciting but I think the biggest thing for me is that I've looked up to the people on that list for a long time. I tried to emulate them as a player. Iย watched them in the Olympic Games when I was growing up and just to be on the same list as them, no matter what number I am at on that list, is something that I'm very humbled by. To be a part of that legacy is huge."
THE RETURN OF MUSSELMAN
After a two-year hiatus to train for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games with Team USA, senior attacker Maddie Musselman has returned to complete her senior season at UCLA. Musselman tied for the team scoring lead with 18 goals in the Tokyo Olympics, leading Team USA to its third-straight gold medal (her second) and was named the MVP of the Olympic Games. It is the fourth time in her career that she has been named the MVP of a major international tournament as she was named the MVP of the FINA World League Super Final in 2019 and again in 2021. She was also named the MVP of the FINA World Championships in 2017. Additionally, the three-time First-Team All-American was also named the 2021 Women's Total Player of the Year byย (Total Waterpolo).
WRIGHT SIGNS NEW SIX-YEAR CONTRACT
UCLA has signed men's and women's water polo head coachย Adam Wrightย to a new six-year contract that will start in July of 2022, it was announced on March 22 byย Martin Jarmond, the Alice and Nahum Lainer Family Director of Athletics. Wright was named the head coach of the UCLA Men's Water Polo team in 2009 and became the Bruins' Women's Water Polo head coach in 2017.
He currently has the Bruin women ranked second in the nation with an overall record of 21-1 and 3-0 in the MPSF. Wright has an overall record of 102-23 (.816) with the women's program, guiding UCLA back to the NCAA Championship game last year for the first time since 2017.
Wright just concluded his 13th season as UCLA's head men's water polo coach in 2021 with an overall record of 296-58 (.836) and an MPSF mark of 59-23 (.719). His teams earned perfect APR (Academic Progress Rate) scores of 1,000 in 2014, 2015 and 2016, all while winning NCAA Championships in 2014, 2015 and 2017. He won his fourth NCAA Championship with the men's team in 2021 (for the 2020 season).
- What UCLA Athletic Director Martin Jarmondย had to say about Coach Wright
"It takes a special kind of leader to build both a men's and a women's water polo program, and to sustain them at an elite level simultaneously. Adam is that leader. He brings out the best in the young men and women he coaches. Beyond teaching, developing and inspiring our water polo student-athletes, Adam's attitude and team-first mentality within on our athletic department are invaluable. He is a Bruin Hall of Famer, and Westwood is where he belongs. I'm thrilled to have him here for a long time."
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
Four of UCLA's seven 2021 ACWPC All-Americans return for the 2022 season. Senior centerย Ava Johnsonย headlined the list of Bruin selections as the lone First-Team honoree. Junior attackerย Hannah Palmerย was the only Bruin to earn Second-Team honors. The Bruins landed two on the Third-Team list which included senior attackerย Val Ayalaย and goalkeeperย Jahmea Bentย (graduated). Three more Bruins earned Honorable Mention All-America accolades that included defenderย Brooke Maxsonย (graduated), junior utilityย Abbi Hillย and attackerย Lexi Liebowitzย (graduated). Maddie Musselman is also a three-time All-American (2017-19).
Johnson was fifth on the team in scoring with 34 points (28 goals, six assists). Her 28 goals ranked tied for second on the team. She led the squad in drawn exclusions (32) and field blocks (nine) and tied for fourth on the team in steals (nine).ย Palmerย ledย the team in scoring with 62 points (9th in the MPSF)ย with a team-highย 36 goals and 26 assists (tied for fifth in the MPSF).ย She was second on the team defensively with 14 steals.ย Ayala was fourth on the team in scoring with 36 points (20 goals, 16 assists). Her 20 goals ranked fifth on the squad while the 16 assists ranked third. She led the Bruins defensively with a team-high 17 steals while ranking second with eight field blocks.ย Hill finished second on the team in scoring with 47 points (28 goals, 19 assists). The 28 goals andย 19 assists each ranked second on the team. She also had nine steals (tied for fourth on the squad), six drawn exclusions, and three field blocks.
RETURNING ALL-MPSF SELECTIONS
Four of the Bruins' five players that earned All-MPSF plaudits in 2021 return for the 2022 campaign. The group includes First-Team selections senior centerย Ava Johnsonย and junior attackerย Hannah Palmer.ย Johnson was also named to the 2021 MPSF/KAP7 All-Tournament Team. Seniorย Brooke Maxsonย wasย named honorable mention for the second straight year and graduated out of the program at year's end. Two Bruin sophomores landed on the MPSF All-Newcomer Team last year, which included attackersย Malia Allenย andย Anneliese Miller.
ย
TENDING GOAL
The Bruins have three goalkeepers on the 2022 roster that all saw action last season, led by redshirt junior Georgia Phillips who played in 10 games (starting eight) while going 5-3 on the year. Junior Quinn Winter and sophomore Sydney Chiang each only played a quarter in the Bruins' season-opening win at No. 11 Fresno State (Feb. 14) a year ago.
ย
CALIFORNIA RAISED
For the third-consecutive season, the UCLA women's water polo roster is completely made up of student-athletes that are from the state of California (28).
WRIGHT ON DECK
Adam Wright is in his fifth season as UCLA's head women's water polo coach in 2022 with an overall record of 103-25 (.805) and an MPSF mark of 21-10 (.677). He recently 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 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.
ย
RECAPPING 2021
Overall Record: 15-5 |ย Final Ranking: 2nd | NCAA Finish: 2nd |ย MPSFย Tournament Finish: 3rd
UCLA finished the season at 15-5 overall and 9-3 in the MPSF in the COVID-limited season of 2021 in head coach Adam Wright's fourth season at the helm of the program. The Bruins went defeated every team it played at least once, including handing NCAA Champion USC its only loss of the season at home, 13-6, on the UCLA's "Senior Day" (April 25). The Bruins also split a pair of games at No. 2 Stanford, dropping the first one 11-12 (Mar. 27) before rallying to win the second meeting, 11-10 (Mar. 28). Stanford beat UCLA in the semifinals of the MPSF Championiship, 13-8 (May 1), but the Bruins beat the Cardinal in the semifinals of the NCAA Champioinship, 9-7 (May 15) before falling to the Trojans in the title match. UCLA would capture third place at the MPSF Championship with a 12-7 win at No. 5 Arizona State (May 2).
UCLA IN THEย CWPA POLL
The Bruins held steady at No. 3 in the 2022 CWPAย National Women's Varsity Top 25 Poll (92 points), released on Apr. 20.
ย
ย
LOS ANGELES โ No. 3 UCLA (22-3, 4-2 MPSF) opens the 2022 MPSF Women's Water Polo Championship as the three-seed and will face sixth-seeded Indiana (14-14, 1-5 MPSF) in the quarterfinals on Friday, Apr. 22ย atย 12:45 p.m. PT at Uytengsuย Aquatics Center. USC will provide a live stream and live stats on The FOSH.
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Friday, Apr. 22 (MPSF Quarterfinalsย โย Uytengsu Aquatics Center)
12:45ย PM PT โ No. 3 UCLAย vs. No. 6 Indiana |ย LIVE STATSย |ย WATCH
SERIES HISTORY
This is the 18th meeting between UCLA and Indianaย with the Bruins winning all 17 previous contests. UCLAย opened MPSF play as part of the Michigan Invitationalย with a 12-6 win over No. 10 Indianaย at Michigan's Canham Natatorium on Jan. 29, 2022.ย The Bruins were led by seniorย Katrina Drake, who had her second hat trick of the year. Seniorย Maddie Musselmanย led the Bruins in total points, scoring five points (all assists). She was also credited with two steals against the Hoosiers. Seniorย Bella Wentzelย scored a career-high-tying two goals against Indiana while juniorย Abbi Hillย made her season debut after missing last weekend and scored twice.ย Redshirt junior goalkeeperย Georgia Phillipsย got the start in the cage and went the distance, registeringย 14 saves while allowing six goals. She also tallied one steal and made one assist.ย Izzy Mandema led Indiana with a game-high four goals while goalkeeper Mary Askew registered 14 saves.
SIX BRUINS EARN SEVEN MPSF HONORS
Six different Bruinsย received seven honors from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, as announced by the conference office today.ย Redshirt senior attackerย Maddie Musselmanย was named the 2022 MPSF Player of the Year and was the only Bruin named First-Team All-MPSF. Musselman became the first Bruin since Sami Hill (2014) and eighth overall to be named the Player of the Year and also became the first woman in UCLA Water Polo history to become a four-time First-Team selection.ย Senior centerย Ava Johnsonย earned All-MPSF honors for the second time in her career. She was named a Second-Team All-MPSF performer after earning First-Team honors in 2021. Redshirt junior goalkeeperย Georgia Phillipsย was named Second-Team All-MPSFย for the second time in her career (2020).ย Junior utilityย Abbi Hillย garnered Honorable Mention All-MPSF accolades after being named First-Team in 2020.ย Two Bruin freshmen wereย on the MPSF All-Newcomer Team, which includedย Emma Linebackย andย Molly Renner.
MUSSELMAN BECOMES UCLA'S ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER
Redshirt senior Maddie Musselmanย scored two goals in the 14-8 win over No. 6 UC Irvine (Mar. 11) to become UCLA's all-time leading scorer with her 238th career goalย on a power play at the 6:23 mark of the third period. She also scored the final goal of the game with 2:51 left in the fourth period. Musselmanย (now with 242 goals) passed Kelly Rulon's (2003, 2005-07) career total of 237 goals.ย The 242.career goals also ranks 13th all-time in MPSF history.ย She also ranks 4th in career steals on the UCLA charts with 154, needing 14 to pass Katie Rulonย for third place (167). The all-time leader at UCLA is Rachel Fattal with 188.
- What Adam Wright had to say about the record
"I'm very happy for her.ย You talk about the history of this program, that's a pretty big-time record. It's nice to be a part of it, but more than the record, I'm proud of the impact that she has had on this program in all facets."
- What Maddie Musselman had to say about the achievement
"It's exciting but I think the biggest thing for me is that I've looked up to the people on that list for a long time. I tried to emulate them as a player. Iย watched them in the Olympic Games when I was growing up and just to be on the same list as them, no matter what number I am at on that list, is something that I'm very humbled by. To be a part of that legacy is huge."
THE RETURN OF MUSSELMAN
After a two-year hiatus to train for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games with Team USA, senior attacker Maddie Musselman has returned to complete her senior season at UCLA. Musselman tied for the team scoring lead with 18 goals in the Tokyo Olympics, leading Team USA to its third-straight gold medal (her second) and was named the MVP of the Olympic Games. It is the fourth time in her career that she has been named the MVP of a major international tournament as she was named the MVP of the FINA World League Super Final in 2019 and again in 2021. She was also named the MVP of the FINA World Championships in 2017. Additionally, the three-time First-Team All-American was also named the 2021 Women's Total Player of the Year byย (Total Waterpolo).
WRIGHT SIGNS NEW SIX-YEAR CONTRACT
UCLA has signed men's and women's water polo head coachย Adam Wrightย to a new six-year contract that will start in July of 2022, it was announced on March 22 byย Martin Jarmond, the Alice and Nahum Lainer Family Director of Athletics. Wright was named the head coach of the UCLA Men's Water Polo team in 2009 and became the Bruins' Women's Water Polo head coach in 2017.
He currently has the Bruin women ranked second in the nation with an overall record of 21-1 and 3-0 in the MPSF. Wright has an overall record of 102-23 (.816) with the women's program, guiding UCLA back to the NCAA Championship game last year for the first time since 2017.
Wright just concluded his 13th season as UCLA's head men's water polo coach in 2021 with an overall record of 296-58 (.836) and an MPSF mark of 59-23 (.719). His teams earned perfect APR (Academic Progress Rate) scores of 1,000 in 2014, 2015 and 2016, all while winning NCAA Championships in 2014, 2015 and 2017. He won his fourth NCAA Championship with the men's team in 2021 (for the 2020 season).
- What UCLA Athletic Director Martin Jarmondย had to say about Coach Wright
"It takes a special kind of leader to build both a men's and a women's water polo program, and to sustain them at an elite level simultaneously. Adam is that leader. He brings out the best in the young men and women he coaches. Beyond teaching, developing and inspiring our water polo student-athletes, Adam's attitude and team-first mentality within on our athletic department are invaluable. He is a Bruin Hall of Famer, and Westwood is where he belongs. I'm thrilled to have him here for a long time."
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
Four of UCLA's seven 2021 ACWPC All-Americans return for the 2022 season. Senior centerย Ava Johnsonย headlined the list of Bruin selections as the lone First-Team honoree. Junior attackerย Hannah Palmerย was the only Bruin to earn Second-Team honors. The Bruins landed two on the Third-Team list which included senior attackerย Val Ayalaย and goalkeeperย Jahmea Bentย (graduated). Three more Bruins earned Honorable Mention All-America accolades that included defenderย Brooke Maxsonย (graduated), junior utilityย Abbi Hillย and attackerย Lexi Liebowitzย (graduated). Maddie Musselman is also a three-time All-American (2017-19).
Johnson was fifth on the team in scoring with 34 points (28 goals, six assists). Her 28 goals ranked tied for second on the team. She led the squad in drawn exclusions (32) and field blocks (nine) and tied for fourth on the team in steals (nine).ย Palmerย ledย the team in scoring with 62 points (9th in the MPSF)ย with a team-highย 36 goals and 26 assists (tied for fifth in the MPSF).ย She was second on the team defensively with 14 steals.ย Ayala was fourth on the team in scoring with 36 points (20 goals, 16 assists). Her 20 goals ranked fifth on the squad while the 16 assists ranked third. She led the Bruins defensively with a team-high 17 steals while ranking second with eight field blocks.ย Hill finished second on the team in scoring with 47 points (28 goals, 19 assists). The 28 goals andย 19 assists each ranked second on the team. She also had nine steals (tied for fourth on the squad), six drawn exclusions, and three field blocks.
RETURNING ALL-MPSF SELECTIONS
Four of the Bruins' five players that earned All-MPSF plaudits in 2021 return for the 2022 campaign. The group includes First-Team selections senior centerย Ava Johnsonย and junior attackerย Hannah Palmer.ย Johnson was also named to the 2021 MPSF/KAP7 All-Tournament Team. Seniorย Brooke Maxsonย wasย named honorable mention for the second straight year and graduated out of the program at year's end. Two Bruin sophomores landed on the MPSF All-Newcomer Team last year, which included attackersย Malia Allenย andย Anneliese Miller.
ย
TENDING GOAL
The Bruins have three goalkeepers on the 2022 roster that all saw action last season, led by redshirt junior Georgia Phillips who played in 10 games (starting eight) while going 5-3 on the year. Junior Quinn Winter and sophomore Sydney Chiang each only played a quarter in the Bruins' season-opening win at No. 11 Fresno State (Feb. 14) a year ago.
ย
CALIFORNIA RAISED
For the third-consecutive season, the UCLA women's water polo roster is completely made up of student-athletes that are from the state of California (28).
WRIGHT ON DECK
Adam Wright is in his fifth season as UCLA's head women's water polo coach in 2022 with an overall record of 103-25 (.805) and an MPSF mark of 21-10 (.677). He recently 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 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.
ย
RECAPPING 2021
Overall Record: 15-5 |ย Final Ranking: 2nd | NCAA Finish: 2nd |ย MPSFย Tournament Finish: 3rd
UCLA finished the season at 15-5 overall and 9-3 in the MPSF in the COVID-limited season of 2021 in head coach Adam Wright's fourth season at the helm of the program. The Bruins went defeated every team it played at least once, including handing NCAA Champion USC its only loss of the season at home, 13-6, on the UCLA's "Senior Day" (April 25). The Bruins also split a pair of games at No. 2 Stanford, dropping the first one 11-12 (Mar. 27) before rallying to win the second meeting, 11-10 (Mar. 28). Stanford beat UCLA in the semifinals of the MPSF Championiship, 13-8 (May 1), but the Bruins beat the Cardinal in the semifinals of the NCAA Champioinship, 9-7 (May 15) before falling to the Trojans in the title match. UCLA would capture third place at the MPSF Championship with a 12-7 win at No. 5 Arizona State (May 2).
UCLA IN THEย CWPA POLL
The Bruins held steady at No. 3 in the 2022 CWPAย National Women's Varsity Top 25 Poll (92 points), released on Apr. 20.
ย
ย 2022 WOMEN'S VARSITY TOP 25 (Week 13 - Apr. 20) |
|||
| ย Rank | ย Team | ย Week 11 Poll | ย Points |
| ย 1 | ย USC | ย 1 | ย 100 |
| ย 2 | ย Stanford | ย 2 | ย 96 |
| ย 3 | ย UCLA | ย 3 | ย 92 |
| ย 4 | ย Hawai'i | ย 4 | ย 88 |
| ย 5 | ย UC Irvine | ย 5 | ย 84 |
| ย 6 | ย California | ย 6 | ย 81 |
| ย 7 | ย Michigan | ย 7 | ย 76 |
| ย 8 | ย Fresno State | ย 8 | ย 72 |
| ย 9 | ย Arizona State | ย 9 | ย 68 |
| ย 10 | ย UC Davis | ย 11 | ย 64 |
| ย 11 | ย Long Beach State | ย 10 | ย 60 |
| ย 12 | ย UC San Diego | ย 12 | ย 54 |
| ย 13 (T) | ย San José State | ย 13 | ย 49 |
| ย 13 (T) | ย Wagner | ย 15 | ย 49 |
| ย 15 | ย Indiana | ย 14 | ย 44 |
| ย 16 | ย Pacific | ย 16 | ย 40 |
| ย 17 | ย Harvard | ย 19 | ย 32 |
| ย 18 (T) | ย Loyola Marymount | ย 18 | ย 31 |
| ย 18 (T) | ย UC Santa Barbara | ย 17 | ย 31 |
| ย 20 | ย Princeton | ย 20 | ย 27 |
| ย 21 | ย San Diego State | ย 21 | ย 20 |
| ย 22 | ย Brown | ย 22 | ย 19 |
| ย 23 | ย LIU | ย 23 | ย 13 |
| ย 24 | ย CSUN | ย 24 | ย 7 |
| ย 25 | ย Marist | ย 25 | ย 5 |
ย
Players Mentioned
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
GK
/ Women's Water Polo
GK
/ Women's Water Polo
UTL
/ Women's Water Polo
CTR
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
DEF
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
GK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
DEF
/ Women's Water Polo
GK
/ 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