LOS ANGELES – New UCLA women’s water polo head coach James Robinson-O’Brien added two assistants to his coaching staff Thursday with the hiring of Bella Baia and retention of Matt Kubeck. Baia, a former UCLA women’s water polo student-athlete, most recently spent two seasons each in the same role with Princeton men’s and women’s water polo. Kubeck returns for his fourth season at UCLA and second with women’s water polo.

Baia helped Princeton women’s water polo to a 45-13 record across 2025 and 2026. The men’s team went 46-19 over 2024 and 2025, twice qualifying for the National Collegiate Championship. Baia’s own playing career spanned four seasons at UCLA, during which the Bruins posted a national runner-up finish and two semifinal-round trips in three completed campaigns.

“We could not be more excited to have Bella join our staff,” said Robinson-O’Brien. “As an alumna of the women's water polo program, Bella understands the culture of UCLA and the expectations of this team. She will be great as a coach, mentor and leader and we are very happy she is here.”

A native of Orange, Calif., Baia joined head coach Adam Wright and the Bruins from Santa Margarita Catholic High School in 2019. She totaled 56 goals and 32 assists in 82 games. From 2019-2022, UCLA went 82-20. Baia, a three-time ACWPC All-Academic “Outstanding” honoree, graduated from UCLA in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She would add a master’s degree in transformative coaching in leadership a year later. During this time, Baia also served as a girls’ assistant water polo coach at Harvard-Westlake School in Studio City, Calif.

Kubeck was co-interim head coach of UCLA women’s water polo in 2026 and also served as an assistant for UCLA men’s water polo during its 2024 and 2025 NCAA championship-winning campaigns. He has six seasons of collegiate coaching experience, as well as 10 years on the high school and club levels. Kubeck in 2026 was also video coach for the USA Water Polo Women’s Senior National Team, which won gold at the World Aquatics World Cup in Sydney.

“Matt brings great knowledge of the game and experience to our staff,” said Robinson-O’Brien. “Having been with this team previously, his connections with the student-athletes are great. Having coached at the highest levels, both collegiate and international, we are very excited about what he brings to this program.”

A four-time All-CIF and All-Ocean League performer at El Segundo High School, Kubeck spent 2008-2011 at Long Beach State and was a two-year starter in the cage. He embarked on his coaching career upon graduation, assisting the boys’ and girls’ water polo teams at Mission Viejo High School. Kubeck took on the head job for the Trabuco Hills HS (Mission Viejo, Calif.) boys’ water polo and swimming teams in 2014-15.