Friday, May 12
Stockton, CA
2:00 PM
UCLA
vs
UC Irvine
The Bruins NCAA First Round match-up with No. 3 UC Irvine (20-6, 7-0 Big West)ย will take place on Friday, May 12 at 2:00 p.m. PT.
Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA
Fourth-Seeded UCLA Heads to NCAA Championship
May 08, 2023 | Women's Water Polo
SOCIAL MEDIA: WWP on Twitter | WWP on Facebook | WWP on Instagram
LOS ANGELES โ No. 5 UCLA (20-7, 4-2 MPSF) is seeded fourth for the 2023 NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship that is being hosted by the University of the Pacific May 12-15 at Chris Kjeldsen Pool at the Douglass M. Eberhardt Aquatics Center. The Bruins NCAA First Round match-up with No. 3 UC Irvine (20-6, 7-0 Big West)ย will take place on Friday, May 12 at 2:00 p.m. PT. Pacificย will provide live stats on The FOSH platform and every game will be streamed on NCAA.com with the Championship game being televised live on ESPNUย at 7:00 p.m. PT/10:00 p.m. ET. Greg Mescallย (play-by-play) and Brenda Villa (analyst) will be calling all of the exciting action.ย
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Friday, May 12 (NCAA Championship โ First Roundย โ Chris Kjeldsen Pool at the Douglass M. Eberhardt Aquatics Center)
2:00 PM PT โ No. 3 UC Irvineย vs. No. 5 UCLAย | WATCHย |ย LIVE STATS
Saturday, May 13 (NCAA Championship โ Semifinalsย โ Chris Kjeldsen Pool at the Douglass M. Eberhardt Aquatics Center)
5:00 PM PT โ TBD |ย WATCHย | The FOSH
Sunday, May 14 (NCAA Championship โ Finalsย โ Chris Kjeldsen Pool at the Douglass M. Eberhardt Aquatics Center)
7:00 PM PT โ TBD | ESPNU | The FOSH
SERIES HISTORY
This is the 34th meeting between UCLA and UC Irvine with the Bruins leading the series 33-0. The Bruins won this year's earlierย meeting, 12-9, inย Irvine, Calif.,ย on Feb. 11, 2023.
UCLA IN THE NCAAs
This is UCLA's 21st appearance in the NCAA Championship and 27th overall Championship appearance. The Bruins have won 11 national titles, seven of which are NCAA Championships. UCLA enters the 2023 NCAA Championship with an all-time record of 41-13 (.759) in NCAA Tournament games. Last year the Bruins opened up the 2022 NCAA Championship with an 8-7 win over UC Irvine before falling to the eventual National Champions, Stanford, 10-7.
RECAPPING THE LAST MEETING WITH UC IRVINE
Freshmanย Anna Pearsonย and graduate studentย Katrina Drakeย eachย scored two goals to lead then-No. 3 UCLA to a 12-9 road win atย then-No. 6 UC Irvineย on Saturday, Feb. 11ย at UCI's Anteater Aquatics Complex.ย A total of 10 Bruins got into the scoring column in the win, including a team-high three points each from graduate studentย Val Ayalaย and juniorย Malia Allenย (one goal and two assists).ย Redshirt seniorย Georgia Phillipsย got the start in the cage and played the firstย half, registering six saves while allowing two goals. Juniorย Sydney Chiangย came in for the second half and also had six saves but surrendered five goals. The other two goals UCLA allowed were given up byย Taylor Smithย who was wearing 1B at the time as UCLA was trying to execute a 7-on-6 play but failed twice down the stretch.
2023 MPSF CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP
Third-seeded UCLA opened with a 16-6 win over No. 16 Arizona State on Apr. 28.ย A total of 11 different Bruins got into the scoring column against the Sun Devils, paced by two goals each from graduate studentย Ava Johnson, seniorย Hannah Palmer, and freshmenย Lily Gess,ย Anna Pearson, andย Genoa Rossi. Then the Bruins fell to eventual champion Stanford, 11-9, in the semifinals.ย A total of seven different Bruins got into the scoring column, paced by the sixth hat trick of the year from freshmanย Anna Pearson.ย Redshirt seniorย Georgia Phillipsย got the start in the cage and went the distance, registering a game-high 10 saves and a team-high and game-high-tying three steals,ย whileย giving up 11 goals to the Cardinal. Phillips also had a stop on a penalty shot that was taken by two-time Olympic gold medalist Aria Fischer. The Bruins fell to then-No. 6 California, 12-11, in the third-place game.ย A total of eight different Bruins got into the scoring column, paced by the season- and game-high-tying four goals from graduate studentย Ava Johnson. Johnson scored three of her goals in the final 3:37 of the fourth quarter.ย Redshirt seniorย Georgia Phillipsย got the start in the cage and went the distance, registering eight saves and one steal,ย whileย giving up 12 goals to the Golden Bears.
BRUINS EARN SEVEN POSTSEASONย MPSF AWARDS
Graduate studentsย Ava Johnsonย andย Katrina Drakeย as well as sophomoreย Emma Linebackย were all named Second-Team All-MPSFย by the league office on Apr. 26. For Johnson, it was her third All-MPSF honor in her career after being named to the First Team in 2021 and to the Second Team in 2022. Drake picked up her second honor after being selected as an Honorable Mention pick in 2020. It is Lineback's first All-MPSF selection after being named to the All-Newcomer Team a year ago.ย Graduate studentย Val Ayalaย garnered Honorable Mention All-MPSF accolades. It marked the second time in her career that she was named All-MPSF after being a First-Team honoree in 2020.ย A trio of Bruin freshmen wereย on the MPSF All-Newcomer Team, which includedย Sienna Green,ย Anna Pearson, andย Taylor Smith.
BRUINS SWEEP WEEKLY MPSF AWARDS
The MPSF announced on Apr. 18 that redshirt senior goalkeeperย Georgia Phillipsย (Fresno, Calif./Clovis North HS)ย andย freshman attackerย Taylor Smithย (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harborย HS) were named the MPSF/Delfina Player of the Week and theย MPSF/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Week, respectively.ย Phillips led UCLA to an 11-6 MPSF home win over No. 5 California (Apr. 15). She recorded a season- and career-high-tying 18 saves in a complete game effort, with a save percentage of .750. Cal was held to a season-low-tying six goals (36 shots, 24 on frame). Phillips also had one steal in the contest. This is the first career MPSF weekly award for Phillips.ย Smith helped the Bruins to an 11-6 MPSF home win over No. 5 California (Apr. 15). She scored two goals on two shots, and picked up one steal to help limit the Bears to a season-low-tying six goals. This is the second career MPSF weekly award for Smith.
PEARSON NAMED MPSF/S&R SPORT NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK AGAIN
The MPSF announced on Apr. 4 that freshman utilityย Anna Pearsonย (Irvine, Calif./Orange Lutheranย HS) was named the MPSF/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Week.ย Pearsonย scored two goals and drew a team-high four exclusions in the Bruins' 13-8 home win over No. 4 Hawai'i (Apr. 2). Pearson scored both of her goals on back-to-back possessions in the second quarter with UCLA trailing 4-1, sparking a 12-4 run to finish the game. It was the Bruins' first home game in 71 days (since Jan. 20, 2023) and was UCLA's only game of the week.ย This is the second career MPSF honor for Pearson.
PEARSON NAMED MPSF/S&R SPORT NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
The MPSF announced on Feb. 7 that freshman utilityย Anna Pearsonย (Irvine, Calif./Orange Lutheranย HS) was named the MPSF/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Week.ย Pearsonย tied for the team lead in scoring with 12 goals in four games of the Triton Invitational (Feb. 3-5). She opened with two goals and one steal in the win over No. 24 CSUN. Pearson added five goals on five shots and drew two exclusions with one steal in a win at No. 18 UC San Diego. She followed with a game-high-tying four goals, three exclusions and two steals in the win over No. 5 Hawai'i. She scored one goal, drew two exclusions and had two steals in the final vs. No. 2ย USC.ย This is the first career MPSF honor for Pearson.
GESS NAMED MPSF/S&R SPORT NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
The MPSF announced on Jan. 31 that freshmanย Lily Gessย (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS) was named the MPSF/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Week.ย Gessย tallied a season-high five points with the first hat trick of her collegiate career in the Bruins' only countable game at the California Cup, a 21-7 win over No. 11 UC Davis (Jan. 28). Sheย scored her three goals on just three shots and also contributed two assists and two steals in the win over the Aggies.ย This is the first career MPSF honor for Gess.
SMITH NAMED MPSF/S&R SPORT NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
The MPSF announced on Jan. 24 that freshmanย Taylor Smithย (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS) was named the MPSF/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Week.ย Smith accumulated seven goals, four assists, a team-high 11 steals, and drew two exclusions (one penalty) in her collegiate debut week as the Bruins defeated five ranked opponents (Jan. 20-22). Smith's debut week included tying for the scoring lead with four goals against No. 21 San Diego State, along with four steals, one assist, and one drawn exclusion in the win against the Aztecs. She also shared the team lead in scoring in the win over No. 15 Wagner with two goals.ย This is the first career MPSF weekly award for Smith.
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
First Team All-Americanย and UCLA's all-time leading scorer, attacker Maddie Musselman,ย is gone. But the Bruins return six All-Americans from the 2022 squad that reached the NCAA Semifinals and went 24-6 (.800) overall. Graduateย center Ava Johnsonย was the only Bruin to earn Second-Team honors. The remaining five Bruins earned Honorable Mention All-America accolades, which included graduate attacker Val Ayala, graduate utility Katrina Drake, senior utility Abbi Hill, redshirt senior goalkeeper Georgia Phillips, and sophomore attacker Molly Renner.
Johnson was seventh on the team in scoring with 38 points (30 goals, eight assists). The 30 goals ranked sixth on the team. She led the squad in exclusions drawn with a career-best 96 on the year. She tied for sixth on the team in field blocks (15). Johnson is a three-time All-American after earning First-Team honors in 2021 and being named Honorable Mention in 2020.
Ayala was third on the team in scoring with 57 points (34 goals, 23 assists). Her 34 goals ranked fourth on the squad while the 23 assists ranked tied for fourth. She ranked fifth on the team in steals with 15. She became the eighth player in UCLA history to become a four-time All-American after earning Third-Team honors in 2021, Second-Team acclaim in 2020 and Honorable Mention honors as a freshman.
Drake finished fourth on the team in scoring with 47 points (35 goals, 12 assists). The 35 goals ranked third on the squad while the 12 assists ranked seventh. She also was third on the team in exclusions drawn with 28 on the year. This was the second time she had earned All-America honors in her career (Honorable Mention in 2020).
Hill tied for ninth on the team in scoring with 32 points (22 goals, 10 assists). The 22 goals ranked tied for eighth on the team. She also finished fourth on the squad in exclusions drawn (24). This was her third straight All-America honor after being named Honorable Mention in 2021 and to the First Team as a freshman.
Phillips led the MPSF in save percentage (.604) and total saves (285). She also ranked third in the MPSF in goals against average at 7.35. This was the second All-America honor of her career after also being named Honorable Mention in 2020.
Renner tied for fifth on the team with 45 points (31 goals, 14ย assists). The 31 goals ranked fifth on the squad while the 14 assists ranked sixth. Her 17 steals also tied for third-highest on the team last season when she was a true freshman.
RETURNING ALL-MPSFย SELECTIONS
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. Goalkeeperย Georgia Phillipsย was named Second-Team All-MPSFย for the second time in her career (2020).ย 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.
TENDING GOAL
The Bruins have four goalkeepers on the 2023 roster that will be vying for playing time but only two of them saw action last season. Leading the charge will beย redshirt senior Georgia Phillips who played in 29 games (starting 28) while going 23-5 on the year. Junior Sydney Chiang played in 10 games (starting twice) while going 1-1 on the year. Looking to make an impact this season will be true freshman Izzy Rosensitto (Newport Beach, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic HS) and sophomore transfer MJ Bailey (Long Beach, Calif./Pine View School (Sarasota, Fla.)/Iona College).
ย
ALMOST ALL-CALIFORNIA RAISED
The streak of having only California players on the roster ends at three years as the Bruins welcomed in Aussie Sienna Green for the 2023 season. The native of Mosman, Australia, played club ball for Sydney University and made her debut with the Australian National Team (the Stingers)ย against Canada in March of 2022. Iona transfer MJ Bailey also played her entire prep career at Venice High School in Sarasota, Fla., before relocating to Long Beach, Calif., with her family in 2022.
WRIGHT ON DECK
Adam Wright is in his sixth season as UCLA's head women's water polo coach in 2023 with an overall record of 125-35 (.781) and an MPSF mark of 24-12 (.667). Last season he 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.
WRIGHT SIGNS NEW SIX-YEAR CONTRACT
UCLA signed men's and women's water polo head coachย Adam Wrightย to a new six-year contract that started in July of 2022 (announced on March 22, 2022). 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.
Wright just concluded his 14th season as UCLA's head men's water polo coach in 2022 with an overall record of 318-63 (.835) and an MPSF mark of 61-24 (.718). 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).
RECAPPING 2022
Overall Record: 24-6 (.800) | MPSF Record: 4-2 (.667) |ย Final Ranking: 4th | NCAA Finish: T-3rd |ย MPSFย Tournament Finish: 4th
UCLA finished the season at 24-6 overall and 4-2 in the MPSF in 2022ย in head coach Adam Wright's fifth season at the helm of the program. Maddie Musselman, the 2022 MPSF Player of the Year, led the Bruins in nearly every statistical category this past season with team-highs in goals (69, 3rd in MPSF), assists (39, 8th in MPSF), total points (108, 3rd in MPSF), steals (46, led MPSF), field blocks (17, 3rd in MPSF), and sprints won (.984, 60-1), which led the MPSF and the nation. Musselman became the school's all-time leading scorer in 2022, finishing her collegiate career with 251 goals. She also became just the second Bruin in UCLA Women's Water Polo history to earn First-Team All-America honors four times (2017-19, 2022), joining Rachel Fattal (2013-15, 2017) in that exclusive club. The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games MVP also scored a personal-best six goals in a win at No. 6 Michigan during her senior season (Jan. 30, 2022). After the season Musselmanย was awarded a Pac-12 Postgraduate Scholarship and headed to Temple University to continue her education in the College of Science and Technology (CST) Pre-Health Post Baccalaureate Program [Advanced Core in Health Science Program (ACHS)].
UCLA IN THEย CWPA POLL
The Bruins slid two sports toย No. 5 in Week 16 of theย 2023ย CWPAย National Women's Varsity Top 25 Poll (87ย points), released on May 3.
ย
LOS ANGELES โ No. 5 UCLA (20-7, 4-2 MPSF) is seeded fourth for the 2023 NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship that is being hosted by the University of the Pacific May 12-15 at Chris Kjeldsen Pool at the Douglass M. Eberhardt Aquatics Center. The Bruins NCAA First Round match-up with No. 3 UC Irvine (20-6, 7-0 Big West)ย will take place on Friday, May 12 at 2:00 p.m. PT. Pacificย will provide live stats on The FOSH platform and every game will be streamed on NCAA.com with the Championship game being televised live on ESPNUย at 7:00 p.m. PT/10:00 p.m. ET. Greg Mescallย (play-by-play) and Brenda Villa (analyst) will be calling all of the exciting action.ย
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Friday, May 12 (NCAA Championship โ First Roundย โ Chris Kjeldsen Pool at the Douglass M. Eberhardt Aquatics Center)
2:00 PM PT โ No. 3 UC Irvineย vs. No. 5 UCLAย | WATCHย |ย LIVE STATS
Saturday, May 13 (NCAA Championship โ Semifinalsย โ Chris Kjeldsen Pool at the Douglass M. Eberhardt Aquatics Center)
5:00 PM PT โ TBD |ย WATCHย | The FOSH
Sunday, May 14 (NCAA Championship โ Finalsย โ Chris Kjeldsen Pool at the Douglass M. Eberhardt Aquatics Center)
7:00 PM PT โ TBD | ESPNU | The FOSH
SERIES HISTORY
This is the 34th meeting between UCLA and UC Irvine with the Bruins leading the series 33-0. The Bruins won this year's earlierย meeting, 12-9, inย Irvine, Calif.,ย on Feb. 11, 2023.
UCLA IN THE NCAAs
This is UCLA's 21st appearance in the NCAA Championship and 27th overall Championship appearance. The Bruins have won 11 national titles, seven of which are NCAA Championships. UCLA enters the 2023 NCAA Championship with an all-time record of 41-13 (.759) in NCAA Tournament games. Last year the Bruins opened up the 2022 NCAA Championship with an 8-7 win over UC Irvine before falling to the eventual National Champions, Stanford, 10-7.
RECAPPING THE LAST MEETING WITH UC IRVINE
Freshmanย Anna Pearsonย and graduate studentย Katrina Drakeย eachย scored two goals to lead then-No. 3 UCLA to a 12-9 road win atย then-No. 6 UC Irvineย on Saturday, Feb. 11ย at UCI's Anteater Aquatics Complex.ย A total of 10 Bruins got into the scoring column in the win, including a team-high three points each from graduate studentย Val Ayalaย and juniorย Malia Allenย (one goal and two assists).ย Redshirt seniorย Georgia Phillipsย got the start in the cage and played the firstย half, registering six saves while allowing two goals. Juniorย Sydney Chiangย came in for the second half and also had six saves but surrendered five goals. The other two goals UCLA allowed were given up byย Taylor Smithย who was wearing 1B at the time as UCLA was trying to execute a 7-on-6 play but failed twice down the stretch.
2023 MPSF CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP
Third-seeded UCLA opened with a 16-6 win over No. 16 Arizona State on Apr. 28.ย A total of 11 different Bruins got into the scoring column against the Sun Devils, paced by two goals each from graduate studentย Ava Johnson, seniorย Hannah Palmer, and freshmenย Lily Gess,ย Anna Pearson, andย Genoa Rossi. Then the Bruins fell to eventual champion Stanford, 11-9, in the semifinals.ย A total of seven different Bruins got into the scoring column, paced by the sixth hat trick of the year from freshmanย Anna Pearson.ย Redshirt seniorย Georgia Phillipsย got the start in the cage and went the distance, registering a game-high 10 saves and a team-high and game-high-tying three steals,ย whileย giving up 11 goals to the Cardinal. Phillips also had a stop on a penalty shot that was taken by two-time Olympic gold medalist Aria Fischer. The Bruins fell to then-No. 6 California, 12-11, in the third-place game.ย A total of eight different Bruins got into the scoring column, paced by the season- and game-high-tying four goals from graduate studentย Ava Johnson. Johnson scored three of her goals in the final 3:37 of the fourth quarter.ย Redshirt seniorย Georgia Phillipsย got the start in the cage and went the distance, registering eight saves and one steal,ย whileย giving up 12 goals to the Golden Bears.
BRUINS EARN SEVEN POSTSEASONย MPSF AWARDS
Graduate studentsย Ava Johnsonย andย Katrina Drakeย as well as sophomoreย Emma Linebackย were all named Second-Team All-MPSFย by the league office on Apr. 26. For Johnson, it was her third All-MPSF honor in her career after being named to the First Team in 2021 and to the Second Team in 2022. Drake picked up her second honor after being selected as an Honorable Mention pick in 2020. It is Lineback's first All-MPSF selection after being named to the All-Newcomer Team a year ago.ย Graduate studentย Val Ayalaย garnered Honorable Mention All-MPSF accolades. It marked the second time in her career that she was named All-MPSF after being a First-Team honoree in 2020.ย A trio of Bruin freshmen wereย on the MPSF All-Newcomer Team, which includedย Sienna Green,ย Anna Pearson, andย Taylor Smith.
BRUINS SWEEP WEEKLY MPSF AWARDS
The MPSF announced on Apr. 18 that redshirt senior goalkeeperย Georgia Phillipsย (Fresno, Calif./Clovis North HS)ย andย freshman attackerย Taylor Smithย (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harborย HS) were named the MPSF/Delfina Player of the Week and theย MPSF/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Week, respectively.ย Phillips led UCLA to an 11-6 MPSF home win over No. 5 California (Apr. 15). She recorded a season- and career-high-tying 18 saves in a complete game effort, with a save percentage of .750. Cal was held to a season-low-tying six goals (36 shots, 24 on frame). Phillips also had one steal in the contest. This is the first career MPSF weekly award for Phillips.ย Smith helped the Bruins to an 11-6 MPSF home win over No. 5 California (Apr. 15). She scored two goals on two shots, and picked up one steal to help limit the Bears to a season-low-tying six goals. This is the second career MPSF weekly award for Smith.
PEARSON NAMED MPSF/S&R SPORT NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK AGAIN
The MPSF announced on Apr. 4 that freshman utilityย Anna Pearsonย (Irvine, Calif./Orange Lutheranย HS) was named the MPSF/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Week.ย Pearsonย scored two goals and drew a team-high four exclusions in the Bruins' 13-8 home win over No. 4 Hawai'i (Apr. 2). Pearson scored both of her goals on back-to-back possessions in the second quarter with UCLA trailing 4-1, sparking a 12-4 run to finish the game. It was the Bruins' first home game in 71 days (since Jan. 20, 2023) and was UCLA's only game of the week.ย This is the second career MPSF honor for Pearson.
PEARSON NAMED MPSF/S&R SPORT NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
The MPSF announced on Feb. 7 that freshman utilityย Anna Pearsonย (Irvine, Calif./Orange Lutheranย HS) was named the MPSF/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Week.ย Pearsonย tied for the team lead in scoring with 12 goals in four games of the Triton Invitational (Feb. 3-5). She opened with two goals and one steal in the win over No. 24 CSUN. Pearson added five goals on five shots and drew two exclusions with one steal in a win at No. 18 UC San Diego. She followed with a game-high-tying four goals, three exclusions and two steals in the win over No. 5 Hawai'i. She scored one goal, drew two exclusions and had two steals in the final vs. No. 2ย USC.ย This is the first career MPSF honor for Pearson.
GESS NAMED MPSF/S&R SPORT NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
The MPSF announced on Jan. 31 that freshmanย Lily Gessย (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS) was named the MPSF/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Week.ย Gessย tallied a season-high five points with the first hat trick of her collegiate career in the Bruins' only countable game at the California Cup, a 21-7 win over No. 11 UC Davis (Jan. 28). Sheย scored her three goals on just three shots and also contributed two assists and two steals in the win over the Aggies.ย This is the first career MPSF honor for Gess.
SMITH NAMED MPSF/S&R SPORT NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
The MPSF announced on Jan. 24 that freshmanย Taylor Smithย (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS) was named the MPSF/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Week.ย Smith accumulated seven goals, four assists, a team-high 11 steals, and drew two exclusions (one penalty) in her collegiate debut week as the Bruins defeated five ranked opponents (Jan. 20-22). Smith's debut week included tying for the scoring lead with four goals against No. 21 San Diego State, along with four steals, one assist, and one drawn exclusion in the win against the Aztecs. She also shared the team lead in scoring in the win over No. 15 Wagner with two goals.ย This is the first career MPSF weekly award for Smith.
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
First Team All-Americanย and UCLA's all-time leading scorer, attacker Maddie Musselman,ย is gone. But the Bruins return six All-Americans from the 2022 squad that reached the NCAA Semifinals and went 24-6 (.800) overall. Graduateย center Ava Johnsonย was the only Bruin to earn Second-Team honors. The remaining five Bruins earned Honorable Mention All-America accolades, which included graduate attacker Val Ayala, graduate utility Katrina Drake, senior utility Abbi Hill, redshirt senior goalkeeper Georgia Phillips, and sophomore attacker Molly Renner.
Johnson was seventh on the team in scoring with 38 points (30 goals, eight assists). The 30 goals ranked sixth on the team. She led the squad in exclusions drawn with a career-best 96 on the year. She tied for sixth on the team in field blocks (15). Johnson is a three-time All-American after earning First-Team honors in 2021 and being named Honorable Mention in 2020.
Ayala was third on the team in scoring with 57 points (34 goals, 23 assists). Her 34 goals ranked fourth on the squad while the 23 assists ranked tied for fourth. She ranked fifth on the team in steals with 15. She became the eighth player in UCLA history to become a four-time All-American after earning Third-Team honors in 2021, Second-Team acclaim in 2020 and Honorable Mention honors as a freshman.
Drake finished fourth on the team in scoring with 47 points (35 goals, 12 assists). The 35 goals ranked third on the squad while the 12 assists ranked seventh. She also was third on the team in exclusions drawn with 28 on the year. This was the second time she had earned All-America honors in her career (Honorable Mention in 2020).
Hill tied for ninth on the team in scoring with 32 points (22 goals, 10 assists). The 22 goals ranked tied for eighth on the team. She also finished fourth on the squad in exclusions drawn (24). This was her third straight All-America honor after being named Honorable Mention in 2021 and to the First Team as a freshman.
Phillips led the MPSF in save percentage (.604) and total saves (285). She also ranked third in the MPSF in goals against average at 7.35. This was the second All-America honor of her career after also being named Honorable Mention in 2020.
Renner tied for fifth on the team with 45 points (31 goals, 14ย assists). The 31 goals ranked fifth on the squad while the 14 assists ranked sixth. Her 17 steals also tied for third-highest on the team last season when she was a true freshman.
RETURNING ALL-MPSFย SELECTIONS
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. Goalkeeperย Georgia Phillipsย was named Second-Team All-MPSFย for the second time in her career (2020).ย 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.
TENDING GOAL
The Bruins have four goalkeepers on the 2023 roster that will be vying for playing time but only two of them saw action last season. Leading the charge will beย redshirt senior Georgia Phillips who played in 29 games (starting 28) while going 23-5 on the year. Junior Sydney Chiang played in 10 games (starting twice) while going 1-1 on the year. Looking to make an impact this season will be true freshman Izzy Rosensitto (Newport Beach, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic HS) and sophomore transfer MJ Bailey (Long Beach, Calif./Pine View School (Sarasota, Fla.)/Iona College).
ย
ALMOST ALL-CALIFORNIA RAISED
The streak of having only California players on the roster ends at three years as the Bruins welcomed in Aussie Sienna Green for the 2023 season. The native of Mosman, Australia, played club ball for Sydney University and made her debut with the Australian National Team (the Stingers)ย against Canada in March of 2022. Iona transfer MJ Bailey also played her entire prep career at Venice High School in Sarasota, Fla., before relocating to Long Beach, Calif., with her family in 2022.
WRIGHT ON DECK
Adam Wright is in his sixth season as UCLA's head women's water polo coach in 2023 with an overall record of 125-35 (.781) and an MPSF mark of 24-12 (.667). Last season he 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.
WRIGHT SIGNS NEW SIX-YEAR CONTRACT
UCLA signed men's and women's water polo head coachย Adam Wrightย to a new six-year contract that started in July of 2022 (announced on March 22, 2022). 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.
Wright just concluded his 14th season as UCLA's head men's water polo coach in 2022 with an overall record of 318-63 (.835) and an MPSF mark of 61-24 (.718). 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).
RECAPPING 2022
Overall Record: 24-6 (.800) | MPSF Record: 4-2 (.667) |ย Final Ranking: 4th | NCAA Finish: T-3rd |ย MPSFย Tournament Finish: 4th
UCLA finished the season at 24-6 overall and 4-2 in the MPSF in 2022ย in head coach Adam Wright's fifth season at the helm of the program. Maddie Musselman, the 2022 MPSF Player of the Year, led the Bruins in nearly every statistical category this past season with team-highs in goals (69, 3rd in MPSF), assists (39, 8th in MPSF), total points (108, 3rd in MPSF), steals (46, led MPSF), field blocks (17, 3rd in MPSF), and sprints won (.984, 60-1), which led the MPSF and the nation. Musselman became the school's all-time leading scorer in 2022, finishing her collegiate career with 251 goals. She also became just the second Bruin in UCLA Women's Water Polo history to earn First-Team All-America honors four times (2017-19, 2022), joining Rachel Fattal (2013-15, 2017) in that exclusive club. The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games MVP also scored a personal-best six goals in a win at No. 6 Michigan during her senior season (Jan. 30, 2022). After the season Musselmanย was awarded a Pac-12 Postgraduate Scholarship and headed to Temple University to continue her education in the College of Science and Technology (CST) Pre-Health Post Baccalaureate Program [Advanced Core in Health Science Program (ACHS)].
UCLA IN THEย CWPA POLL
The Bruins slid two sports toย No. 5 in Week 16 of theย 2023ย CWPAย National Women's Varsity Top 25 Poll (87ย points), released on May 3.
ย
| 2023 Women's Varsity Top 25 (Week 16/May 3) | |||
| ย Rank | ย Team | ย Week 15 Poll | ย Points |
| ย 1 | ย Stanford | ย 2 | ย 100 |
| ย 2 | ย USC | ย 1 | ย 96 |
| ย 3 (T) | ย UC Irvine | ย 4 | ย 88 |
| ย 3 (T) | ย California | ย 6 | ย 88 |
| ย 5 | ย UCLA | ย 3 | ย 87 |
| ย 6 | ย Hawai'i | ย 5 | ย 81 |
| ย 7 | ย Long Beach State | ย 7 | ย 74 |
| ย 8 | ย Fresno State | ย 8 | ย 70 |
| ย 9 | ย Princeton | ย 10 | ย 69 |
| ย 10 | ย UC San Diego | ย 12 (T) | ย 63 |
| ย 11 | ย UC Davis | ย 11 | ย 58 |
| ย 12 | ย Pacific | ย 12 (T) | ย 52 |
| ย 13 | ย Harvardย | ย 18 (T) | ย 51 |
| ย 14 | ย UC Santa Barbara | ย 14 | ย 47 |
| ย 15 | ย Michigan | ย 9 | ย 45 |
| ย 16 | ย Arizona State | ย 16 | ย 44 |
| ย 17 | ย Indiana | ย 15 | ย 38 |
| ย 18 | ย Loyola Marymount | ย 17 | ย 32 |
| ย 19 | ย San Jose State | ย 21 | ย 24 |
| ย 20 | ย Long Island | ย RV | ย 22 |
| ย 21 | ย Wagner | ย 18 (T) | ย 20 |
| ย 22 | ย Pomona-Pitzer | ย 22 | ย 14 |
| ย 23 | ย San Diego State | ย 24 | ย 10 |
| ย 24 | ย CSUN | ย 23 | ย 9 |
| ย 25 | ย Brown | ย 20 | ย 8 |
| ย RV | ย Marist | ย 25 | ย 5 |
| ย RV | ย Saint Francis | ย NR | ย 4 |
| ย RV | ย Claremont-Mudd-Scripps | ย NR | ย 1 |
Players Mentioned
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
GK
/ Women's Water Polo
UTL
/ Women's Water Polo
UTL
/ Women's Water Polo
CTR
/ Women's Water PoloCTR
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
UTL
/ Women's Water Polo
GK
/ Women's Water PoloGK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
GK
/ Women's Water Polo
UTL
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ 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