No. 3 UCLA Opens 2026 with Two Top 10 Wins

Sunday, January 25

Berkeley, Calif.

8:00 AM (PT)

UCLA

1-0

Fresno State

4-3

Fresno State 2026

UCLA (W)

Tali Stryker scored five goals today, including a career-high four in the win over Long Beach State.

Photo by: Kyla Henderson

No. 3 UCLA Opens 2026 with Two Top 10 Wins

January 25, 2026 | Women's Water Polo

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Fresno State Box Score (PDF)Long Beach State Box Score (PDF)

SOCIAL MEDIA: WWP on Twitter/X | WWP on Facebook | WWP on Instagram

LOS ANGELES – No. 3 UCLA (2-0, 0-0 MPSF) opened the 2026 with two blowout wins over Top 10 ranked teams at California's Spieker Aquatics Complex on Sunday, Jan. 25. The Bruins opened the Brigitte Donner Daws Memorial Invitational with a 14-6 win over No. 9 Fresno State in the morning and then defeated No. 6 Long Beach State, 18-7, in the afternoon. UCLA improved to 10-0 against the Bulldogs and 28-0 against the Beach in the series history against both teams.

A total of seven different Bruins scored against Fresno State (4-3), paced by four goals from senior Anna Pearson, and six total points from redshirt senior Emma Lineback (two goals and four assists). Senior Taylor Smith had a hat trick and added an assist for four total points against the Beach. Junior Elektra Urbatsch was UCLA's fourth multiple goal scorer of the game with two scores in the lopsided win.

Junior Lauren Steele got the start in the cage and played the first three quarters, tallying 14 saves to go with one steal and one assist while allowing three goals. Junior Joey Niz played the fourth quarter, tallying five saves, two steals, and an assist while giving up the other three scores.

The Bruins led wire-to-wire, winning three of the four quarters, Smith scored the first two goals of the game and Pearson answered with the next two to push UCLA to a 4-0 lead. The Bruins won the first period, 5-1. UCLA won a defensive-minded second quarter, 2-1, to take a 7-2 lead into the break. The Bruins put the game out of reach in the third, winning the quarter 5-1, to build a 12-3 lead heading into the final stanza. The Bulldogs won the fourth quarter, 3-2, to provide the 14-6 final.

SCOREBOARD	1	2	3	4	FINAL
No. 9 FSU	1	1	1	3	6
No. 3 UCLA	5	2	5	2	14

6x5 - UCLA - 3/5 - FSU - 2/12
Penalties - UCLA - 0/0 - FSU - 1/1

FSU Goals: Georgia Daly 2, Charli Munoz 1, Riaan Bryant 1, Sydney Stickland 1, Kira Anderson 1
FSU Saves: Katelyn Mobley 12

UCLA Goals: Anna Pearson 4, Taylor Smith 3, Elektra Urbatsch 2, Emma Lineback 2, Becca Melanson 1, Jenna Human 1, Tali Stryker 1
UCLA Saves: Lauren Steele 14, Joey Niz 5

Nine different Bruins scored in the blowout win over LBSU (5-2), led by a career-high four goals from sophomore Tali Stryker and four goals from Smith. Smith would add an assist to be the game-high scorer with five points. Redshirt freshman Ana Pieper would score the first two goals of her collegiate career and Pearson added two scores as well against the Beach. Junior Becca Melanson would be the fifth Bruin to score multiple goals against LBSU, netting two in the win.

Steele got the start again and played the first half, tallying 11 saves and two steals while allowing two goals. Niz played the second half, registering six saves and a steal while surrendering five goals.

The Bruins again never trailed, winning the first quarter, 5-2, and then pitched a shutout in a dominant second period, 5-0, to build a 10-2 lead by halftime. UCLA won the third quarter, 4-3, to take a 14-5 lead into the fourth quarter. The Bruins doubled up the Beach in the fourth period, 4-2, to provide the 18-7 final.

SCOREBOARD	1	2	3	4	FINAL
No. 6 LBSU	2	0	3	2	7
No. 3 UCLA	5	5	4	4	18

6x5 - UCLA - 5/7 - LBSU - 2/7
Penalties - UCLA - 0/0 - LBSU - 0/0

LBSU Goals: Chiara Amoroso 2, Daniela Quinzada 2, Rita Gurri 1, Angeliki Arroyo 1, Lucy Miszewski 1
LBSU Saves: Kayla Melville 5, Polina Syntysia 4

UCLA Goals: Taylor Smith 4, Tali Stryker 4, Becca Melanson 2, Anna Pearson 2, Ana Pieper 2, Katherine O'Dea 1, Bia Mantellato 1, Jojo Walters 1, Zoë Frangieh 1
UCLA Saves: Lauren Steele 11, Joey Niz 6

UP NEXT:
The Bruins will head to La Jolla, Calif., to compete at the Triton Invitational on the campus of UC San Diego (Jan. 30-Feb. 1). UCLA is seeded second and will open with Cal State Fullerton on Friday, Jan. 30 at 9:20 a.m. PT at Triton Pool. The Bruins are in Bracket B with No. 11 Arizona State, No. 17 Michigan, and Cal State Fullerton.