No. 2 Women's Water Polo Readies for Kalbus Invite

Friday, February 13

Irvine, Calif.

3:00 PM (PT)

UCLA

Fresno State

Jenna Human (Photo: Alyssa Lopez)

No. 2 Women's Water Polo Readies for Kalbus Invite

February 11, 2026 | Women's Water Polo

Tickets Tournament Central

The second-ranked UCLA women's water polo team (7-0) heads to Irvine, Calif. this week for the Barbara Kalbus Invitational, which begins Friday at Anteater Aquatics Complex. Games continue through Sunday, when a champion is crowned. Eight of the nation's top 13 teams make up the field: No. 1 Stanford (3-0), No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 USC (9-1), No. 4 California (7-0), No. 5 Hawai'i (5-2), No. 7 Long Beach State (7-5), No. 11 UC Irvine (3-7) and No. 13 Fresno State (7-5). The Bruins open up Friday at 3 p.m. PT against Fresno State. A Saturday matchup with USC or Long Beach State will follow.

INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday, Feb. 13
Game 1: No. 1 Stanford at No. 11 UC Irvine – 12 p.m. PT
Game 2: No. 5 Hawai'i vs. No. 4 California – 1:30 p.m. PT
Game 3: No. 13 Fresno State vs. No. 2 UCLA – 3 p.m. PT
Game 4: No. 7 Long Beach State vs. No. 3 USC – 4:30 p.m. PT

Saturday, Feb. 14
Game 5: Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 1 – 12 p.m. PT
Game 6: Loser Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3 – 1:30 p.m. PT
Game 7: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 1 – 3 p.m. PT
Game 8: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 3 – 4:30 p.m. PT

Sunday, Feb. 15
Game 9 (Seventh Place): Loser Game 6 vs. Loser Game 5 – 9 a.m. PT
Game 10 (Fifth Place): Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 5 – 10:30 a.m. PT
Game 11 (Third Place): Loser Game 8 vs. Loser Game 7 – 12 p.m. PT
Game 12 (First Place): Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 7 – 1:30 p.m. PT

TICKETS
All tickets must be purchased online (TICKET LINK) prior to arrival. Tickets will be delivered via mobile tickets and are to be scanned at event entry. No event day sales will be available at the Anteater Aquatics Complex.

UCLA AT THE KALBUS
UCLA has participated in every Barbara Kalbus Invitational since the event began in 2007, capturing championships in 2024, 2015, 2012 and 2008. This year, the Bruins will have opportunities to improve upon their program's records against California (66-16), Fresno State (8-0, 1-0 in 2026), Hawai'i (59-3, 1-0 in 2026), Long Beach State (27-0, 1-0 in 2026), Stanford (40-60), UC Irvine (37-0, 1-0 in 2026) and USC (56-40, 1-0 in 2026).

LAST TIME OUT
No. 2 UCLA earned a home-opening win Saturday, Feb. 7 at Spieker Aquatics Center, beating No. 12 UC Irvine 15-10. There were seven ties to open play, but the Bruins were able to establish a cushion in the second half. Bia Mantellato led UCLA with four goals. Taylor Smith scored three times, while Jenna Human and Anna Pearson each found the back of the net twice. The Anteaters were led by Lauren Hett's three goals, with Sydney Hagan and Annabelle Mundelius adding two apiece. Lauren Steele had seven saves and scored a goal for the Bruins across three quarters. Joey Niz added three stops during the fourth. Ella Walker went the distance for UCI, stopping 10 shots.

TOUGH COMPETITION
Of UCLA's first seven opponents, five have been ranked in the top 10 of that week's CWPA Women's Varsity Top 25: No. 2 USC (Feb. 1 – 12-9), No. 5 Hawai'i (Jan. 31 – 14-5), No. 6 Arizona State (Jan. 31 – 15-8), No. 6 Long Beach State (Jan. 25 – 18-7) and No. 9 Fresno State (Jan. 25 – 14-6). The Bruins are undefeated in these games with an average goal differential of plus-7.6 (14.6-7.0). They have also beaten No. 12 UC Irvine (Feb. 7 – 15-10) and unranked Cal State Fullerton (Jan. 30 – 22-4).

UCLA IN THE CWPA POLL
UCLA remained at No. 2 in the latest CWPA Women's Varsity Top 25, released Wednesday. The Bruins held steady at No. 3 in the first three editions before moving up a spot following their championship run at the Triton Invitational. They have received 96 points in back-to-back weeks. Rounding out the top five were No. 1 Stanford (100), No. 3 USC (92), No. 4 California (89) and No. 5 Hawai'i (82). To view the full poll, click HERE.

SMITH VOTED MPSF/DEFINA PLAYER OF THE WEEK FEB. 3
Taylor Smith was named MPSF/Delfina Player of the Week Feb. 3 after leading her team to the Triton Invitational championship. The senior attacker from Newport Beach, Calif. led the Bruins with 16 total points across four games. Of Smith's 16 points, 15 were goals. She opened play with a hat trick against Cal State Fullerton (Jan. 30). Smith then piled up a career-high six goals to help third-ranked UCLA defeat No. 6 Arizona State 15-8 before tacking on another the same day versus No. 5 Hawai'i (Jan. 31). The Bruins completed their run with a 12-9 upset of No. 2 USC in which Smith collected five more goals and assisted on another (Feb. 1). Over the three day-tournament, Smith added three steals, one field block and won five of six sprints. Smith has now won three MPSF Player of the Week awards in her career, also winning one in 2025 and another in 2024. She also earned a pair of Newcomer of the Week honors in 2023.

RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
A total of six All-Americans will be suiting up for UCLA in 2026. The Bruins return all five of their All-Americans from the 2025 season, including First-Team selection, senior utility Anna Pearson (Irvine, Calif./Orange Lutheran HS). Junior goalkeeper Lauren Steele (Old Greenwich, Conn./Orange Lutheran HS) and RS-senior attacker Emma Lineback (Laguna Beach, Calif./Laguna Beach HS) both earned Second-Team All-American honors last year and are joined by Honorable Mention picks, senior center Bia Mantellato (São Paulo, Brazil/Newport Harbor HS) and senior utility Genoa Rossi (Laguna Beach, Calif./Mater Dei HS). The Bruins also retain the services of 2023 Third-Team All-American, senior attacker Taylor Smith (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS).

RETURNING ALL-MPSF PLAYERS
The list of returning all-league players is basically the same as the All-Americans list with one addition. Three Bruins earned Delfina All-MPSF First-Team accolades last year, and that included Anna Pearson, Emma Lineback, and Lauren Steele. Two Bruins landed on the Delfina All-MPSF Honorable Mention team, which included Genoa Rossi and Bia Mantellato. Sophomore attacker Tali Stryker (Lafayette, Calif./Miramonte HS) was the lone Bruin on the MPSF All-Newcomer Team a year ago. Taylor Smith was also named Second-Team All-MPSF in 2024.

EXPERIENCE BETWEEN THE POSTS
UCLA returns three goalkeepers who have all seen action in the cage for the Bruins. That list is headlined by two-time All-American, Lauren Steele. Also in that group is senior Izzy Rosensitto (Newport Beach, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic HS), and junior Joey Niz (Los Alamitos, Calif./Los Alamitos HS).

INFLUX OF YOUTH
Six true freshmen have arrived in Westwood and look to make an immediate impact in 2026. The class is bolstered by three redshirts from last year, putting the total number of freshmen to nine on this year's roster. The six true freshmen include Presley Jones (Laguna Beach, Calif./Laguna Beach HS), Ally Larsen (Orinda, Calif./Miramonte HS), Katherine O'Dea (Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow Wilson HS), Jailynn Robinson (Dallas, Texas/Orange Lutheran HS), Alison Sagara (Orinda, Calif./Miramonte HS), and Sienna Steiner (Sarasota, Fla./Venice HS). The three redshirt freshmen are Ryan Chalupnik (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS), Aubrey Graham (Mountain View, Calif./Mountain View HS), and Ana Pieper (Orinda, Calif./Campolindo HS).

TRANSFER PORTAL
The Bruins' 2026 roster has been bolstered by three transfers from inside the MPSF. Janna Tauscher (Sunset Beach, Calif./Mater Dei HS), the redshirt senior center from California has one year remaining, as does the senior defender from Arizona State, Zoë Frangieh (Los Gatos, Calif./Los Gatos HS). Also with one year remaining is senior attacker Fanni Muzsnay (Budapest, Hungary/Szabo Lorinc Bilingual HS), who transferred in from USC.

MORE BRUINS LOOKING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
UCLA also returns nine players from its 2025 roster that all made significant contributions last season. That group includes sophomores Jenna Human (El Cajon, Calif./Santana HS) and Jojo Walters (Dallas, Texas/Southlake Carroll HS), redshirt sophomores Dania Innis (Orinda, Calif./Miramonte HS), Alexsa Gimenez (Commerce, Calif./Downey HS), juniors Becca Melanson (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny HS), Olivia Ouellette (Los Alamitos, Calif./Los Alamitos HS), and Elektra Urbatsch (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day School), and seniors Lily Gess (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS) and Carly McMurray (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic HS), The Bruins will redshirt junior Natasha Kieckhafer (San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic HS) and sophomore Maile Turner (Danville, Calif./Monte Vista HS), who are both recovering from undisclosed injuries.

COACHING CHANGES
With two-time reigning MPSF Coach of the Year, Adam Wright, stepping away from day-to-day operations as UCLA's head women's water polo coach in 2026, two current Bruins coaches have been elevated to the post of interim co-head coach. Jason Falitz, who has been the associate head coach on the men's side since 2017 and at that same post with the women's team since the 2022 season, will serve as one of the co-head coaches. Matt Kubeck, who just completed his second season as an assistant coach with the Bruins' men's squad will also serve as a co-head coach with the women in 2026. The duo is currently 7-0 at UCLA. Additionally, UCLA has completed its coaching staff with Stanford standout Ryann Neushul to the post of assistant coach. Neushul is a four-time NCAA Champion, a four-time All-American, a two-time World Champion, and the 2025 Peter J. Cutino Award winner.

RECAPPING 2025
Overall Record: 20-6 (.769) | MPSF Record: 5-1 (.833) | Final Ranking: 3rd | NCAA Finish: T-3rd | MPSF Tournament Finish: 2nd The UCLA Bruins finished the season with the No. 1 seed heading into the MPSF Championship Tournament for the second straight year. But the Bruins were unable to successfully defend their MPSF and NCAA Tournament titles from a 26-0 season in 2024, falling in overtime, 11-9, to No. 1 Stanford at home in the MPSF final. Seeded second for the NCAA Championship, the Bruins fell to No. 3 USC, 15-13, in the semifinals.