Second-Half Surge Pushes Women's Water Polo Past Fresno State

Friday, February 13

Irvine, Calif.

3:00 PM (PT)

UCLA

8-0

Fresno State

7-6

Fresno State

UCLA

Anna Pearson (Photo: Alyssa Lopez)

Second-Half Surge Pushes Women's Water Polo Past Fresno State

February 13, 2026 | Women's Water Polo

Box Score

IRVINE, Calif. – The second-ranked UCLA women's water polo team defeated No. 13 Fresno State 17-10 Friday afternoon at Anteater Aquatics Complex, earning a spot in the Barbara Kalbus Invitational semifinal round. UCLA registered a 10-4 scoring advantage in the second half.

Anna Pearson scored a game-high five goals for the Bruins (8-0). Taylor Smith added four of her own. Scoring two goals each were Dania Innis and Bia Mantellato. The Bulldogs (7-6) were paced by Caitlyn Mossman and Charley Stephens, who logged two goals apiece. Lauren Steele finished with six saves in three quarters for UCLA. She was relieved by Joey Niz, who added three in the fourth. Katelyn Mobley had two stops for Fresno State.

Both teams were slow to get going offensively in the first quarter, combining for four total goals. Pearson and Emma Lineback converted power-play opportunities, each answering a Bulldog score.

The teams continued to trade goals in the second, scoring four each in the opening 5:07. Five different Bruins – Mantellato, Pearson, Smith, Katherine O'Dea and Elektra Urbatsch – found the back of the net in the frame. Mantellato gave UCLA its first lead of the game, at 7-6, on a penalty shot with 2:02 left. The score stayed there until halftime.

The third quarter belonged to the Bruins, who collected six of seven goals scored. They posted five in a row across 6:08, with Pearson and Smith each scoring twice and Mantellato adding the other. Smith tacked on her third of the quarter – second on a power play – with 23 seconds left. She had three six-on-five scores for the game.

Innis and Jenna Human got in the scorebook during the fourth quarter, with the former turning in a pair of goals. Pearson added her fifth, which became a season high for the senior hailing from Irvine, Calif.

UCLA next meets No. 3 USC Saturday at 4:30 p.m. PT. No. 1 Stanford and No. 4 California also prevailed.

No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 13 Fresno State

SCOREBOARD	1	2	3	4	FINAL
Fresno State	2	4	1	3	10
UCLA	2	5	6	4	17

6x5: UCLA – 6/10, Fresno State - 2/12
Penalties: UCLA - 1/1, Fresno State - 1/1

Fresno State Goals: Caitlyn Mossman 2, Charley Stephens 2, Kira Anderson, Hailey Andress, Noa Markovsky, Sidney Strickland, Marit van der Kolk, Ashley Williams
Fresno State Saves: Katelyn Mobley 2

UCLA Goals: Anna Pearson 5, Taylor Smith 4, Dania Innis 2, Bia Mantellato 2, Jenna Human, Emma Lineback, Katherine O'Dea, Elektra Urbatsch
UCLA Saves: Lauren Steele 6, Joey Niz 3