BERKELEY, Calif. – The third-seeded UCLA women's water polo team was triumphant in the MPSF Championship Tournament third-place game Sunday, outlasting No. 4 seed and host California 10-9 at Spieker Aquatics Complex. UCLA jumped out to a 4-1 lead after the first quarter, but the teams were never separated by more than two goals from that point on.
Both teams now await announcement of at-large selections for the 2026 National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championship, hosted by UC San Diego at Canyonview Pool in La Jolla, Calif. from April 22-26. The 10-team field will be revealed Monday during the selection show, broadcast on NCAA.com at 5 p.m. PT.
Elektra Urbatsch posted her third hat trick in as many days to lead the Bruins (20-4). Bia Mantellato, Taylor Smith and Tali Stryker had two goals each for UCLA. Bruin goalkeeper Lauren Steele logged 13 saves and finished with 41 for the tournament. Cal (14-7) was paced by Maria Bogachenko's three goals and Talia Fonseca's seven saves.
Cal scored first on a power play, but Urbatsch quickly answered with a six-on-five conversion of her own. Stryker found the back of the net on back-to-back possessions and Urbatsch added a last-second strike to put UCLA up by three.
The Golden Bears charged back with three consecutive goals to start the second quarter. Mantellato moved the Bruins back in front with a power-play goal at 1:38, but Cal answered once more to make the halftime score 5-5.
Abbi Magee gave the Golden Bears their first lead, capitalizing on a six-on-five chance with 7:33 left in the third. It was all UCLA the rest of the frame, however, with Taylor Smith (5:51), Urbatsch (3:21) and Mantellato (0:45 – power play) helping the Bruins back to an 8-6 lead with eight minutes remaining.
Cal regained momentum early in the fourth, as Bogachenko (7:25) and Julia Bonaguidi (5:41) scored consecutively. Emma Lineback (2:35) and Taylor Smith (1:35) responded for UCLA, though, establishing a cushion. Magee's made penalty shot cut the Golden Bears' deficit in half once more, but the Bruin defense withstood one final push. Mantellato made a game-winning steal to seal the result.
No. 3 seed UCLA vs. No. 4 seed California
6x5: UCLA – 4/13, California – 4/13
Penalties: UCLA – 0/0, California – 1/1
UCLA Goals: Elektra Urbatsch 3, Bia Mantellato 2, Taylor Smith 2, Tali Stryker 2, Emma Lineback 1
UCLA Saves: Lauren Steele 13
California Goals: Maria Bogachenko 3, Abbi Magee 2, Julia Bonaguidi 1, Rosalie Hassett 1, Harper Price 1, Eszter Varro 1
California Saves: Talia Fonseca 7
Both teams now await announcement of at-large selections for the 2026 National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championship, hosted by UC San Diego at Canyonview Pool in La Jolla, Calif. from April 22-26. The 10-team field will be revealed Monday during the selection show, broadcast on NCAA.com at 5 p.m. PT.
Elektra Urbatsch posted her third hat trick in as many days to lead the Bruins (20-4). Bia Mantellato, Taylor Smith and Tali Stryker had two goals each for UCLA. Bruin goalkeeper Lauren Steele logged 13 saves and finished with 41 for the tournament. Cal (14-7) was paced by Maria Bogachenko's three goals and Talia Fonseca's seven saves.
Cal scored first on a power play, but Urbatsch quickly answered with a six-on-five conversion of her own. Stryker found the back of the net on back-to-back possessions and Urbatsch added a last-second strike to put UCLA up by three.
The Golden Bears charged back with three consecutive goals to start the second quarter. Mantellato moved the Bruins back in front with a power-play goal at 1:38, but Cal answered once more to make the halftime score 5-5.
Abbi Magee gave the Golden Bears their first lead, capitalizing on a six-on-five chance with 7:33 left in the third. It was all UCLA the rest of the frame, however, with Taylor Smith (5:51), Urbatsch (3:21) and Mantellato (0:45 – power play) helping the Bruins back to an 8-6 lead with eight minutes remaining.
Cal regained momentum early in the fourth, as Bogachenko (7:25) and Julia Bonaguidi (5:41) scored consecutively. Emma Lineback (2:35) and Taylor Smith (1:35) responded for UCLA, though, establishing a cushion. Magee's made penalty shot cut the Golden Bears' deficit in half once more, but the Bruin defense withstood one final push. Mantellato made a game-winning steal to seal the result.
No. 3 seed UCLA vs. No. 4 seed California
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 3 UCLA | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
| No. 4 California | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
6x5: UCLA – 4/13, California – 4/13
Penalties: UCLA – 0/0, California – 1/1
UCLA Goals: Elektra Urbatsch 3, Bia Mantellato 2, Taylor Smith 2, Tali Stryker 2, Emma Lineback 1
UCLA Saves: Lauren Steele 13
California Goals: Maria Bogachenko 3, Abbi Magee 2, Julia Bonaguidi 1, Rosalie Hassett 1, Harper Price 1, Eszter Varro 1
California Saves: Talia Fonseca 7