Women's Water Polo Opens MPSF Play Saturday at Cal

Saturday, February 21

Berkeley, Calif.

1:00 PM (PT)

UCLA

No. 4 California

Tali Stryker (Photo: Steve Urbatsch)

Women's Water Polo Opens MPSF Play Saturday at Cal

February 18, 2026 | Women's Water Polo

The second-ranked UCLA women's water polo team (9-1) begins MPSF play Saturday at No. 4 California (8-2). Action from Spieker Aquatic Complex in Berkeley, Calif. begins at 1 p.m. PT. Overnght is set to air live video of the contest, while 6-8 Sports will have live scoring. UCLA and Cal are coming off second- and fourth-place finishes at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational, respectively.

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Opponent: No. 4 California
Venue: Spieker Aquatics Complex
Date: Saturday, Feb. 21
Time: 1 p.m. PT
Watch: https://www.overnght.com/player/b1ad2528-1554-471d-b18f-80806aa4e383
Live Stats: https://scores.6-8sports.com/scoreboard

SERIES HISTORY
Series vs. California: UCLA leads 68-16
Most Recent vs. California: UCLA won 15-14 on April 26, 2025 (Recap)

LAST TIME OUT
Second-ranked UCLA posted a runner-up finish at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational in Irvine, Calif., falling to No. 1 Stanford 8-7 in the final (Feb. 15). The Bruins nearly overcame a 5-1 first-half deficit in that one, but could not pull level. Emma Lineback and Bia Mantellato scored two goals each to lead UCLA. Lauren Steele had 13 saves, including eight in the fourth quarter alone. One day earlier, the Bruins outlasted No. 3 USC in a 10-9 thriller (Feb. 14). Mantellato turned in a standout performance, scoring a season-high six goals and adding five earned exclusions and two assists. Taylor Smith logged a pair of goals. Steele matched her season high with 14 saves, including a lead-preserver in the game's final seconds. In the opener, UCLA registered a 10-4 second-half scoring advantage en route to a 17-10 win against No. 13 Fresno State (Feb. 13). Anna Pearson scored a game-high five goals for the Bruins. Smith added four of her own. Scoring two goals each were Mantellato and Dania Innis.

MANTELLATO MAGIC
Bia Mantellato was a force for the Bruins as they earned a runner-up finish at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational in Irvine, Calif. The senior's finest moment of the weekend came in a thrilling semifinal-round win versus third-ranked USC. Mantellato piled up a season-high six goals – including UCLA's final two of a 10-9 result – while adding five earned exclusions and a pair of assists against the Trojans. She finished the tournament with 10 goals, five assists, 11 earned exclusions and one steal across three games. Mantellato ranks second on the team with 24 goals. She's logged four hat trick and seven multi-goal games.

TOUGH COMPETITION
Across UCLA's first 10 games, it has faced off with seven teams ranked in the top 10 of that week's CWPA Women's Varsity Top 25: No. 1 Stanford (Feb. 15 – 7-8), No. 2 USC (Feb. 1 – 12-9), No. 3 USC (Feb. 14 – 10-9), 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 6-1 in these games with an average goal differential of plus-5.5 (12.9-7.4). They have also beaten No. 12 UC Irvine (Feb. 7 – 15-10), No. 13 Fresno State (Feb. 13 – 17-10) 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 three straight weeks. Rounding out the top five were No. 1 Stanford (100), No. 3 USC (92), No. 4 California (88) and in a tie for No. 5, Arizona State (82) and 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 completed its coaching staff with former 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.