Women's Water Polo Outlasts Cal in MPSF Tourney

Sunday, April 12

Berkeley, Calif.

12:45 PM (PT)

UCLA

20-3

California

14-7

Team	1	2	3	4	OT	OT	SD	SD	SD	SD	SD	Final F
California (W)	1	4	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	9
UCLA (W)	4	1	3	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	10

Elektra Urbatsch

Photo by: Catharyn Hayne

Women's Water Polo Outlasts Cal in MPSF Tourney

April 12, 2026 | Women's Water Polo

Box Score Tournament Central

BERKELEY, Calif. – The third-seeded UCLA women's water polo team was triumphant in the MPSF Championship Tournament third-place game Sunday, outlasting No. 4 seed and host California 10-9 at Spieker Aquatics Complex. UCLA jumped out to a 4-1 lead after the first quarter, but the teams were never separated by more than two goals from that point on.

Both teams now await announcement of at-large selections for the 2026 National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championship, hosted by UC San Diego at Canyonview Pool in La Jolla, Calif. from April 22-26. The 10-team field will be revealed Monday during the selection show, broadcast on NCAA.com at 5 p.m. PT.

Elektra Urbatsch posted her third hat trick in as many days to lead the Bruins (20-4). Bia Mantellato, Taylor Smith and Tali Stryker had two goals each for UCLA. Bruin goalkeeper Lauren Steele logged 13 saves and finished with 41 for the tournament. Cal (14-7) was paced by Maria Bogachenko's three goals and Talia Fonseca's seven saves.

Cal scored first on a power play, but Urbatsch quickly answered with a six-on-five conversion of her own. Stryker found the back of the net on back-to-back possessions and Urbatsch added a last-second strike to put UCLA up by three.

The Golden Bears charged back with three consecutive goals to start the second quarter. Mantellato moved the Bruins back in front with a power-play goal at 1:38, but Cal answered once more to make the halftime score 5-5.

Abbi Magee gave the Golden Bears their first lead, capitalizing on a six-on-five chance with 7:33 left in the third. It was all UCLA the rest of the frame, however, with Taylor Smith (5:51), Urbatsch (3:21) and Mantellato (0:45 – power play) helping the Bruins back to an 8-6 lead with eight minutes remaining.

Cal regained momentum early in the fourth, as Bogachenko (7:25) and Julia Bonaguidi (5:41) scored consecutively. Emma Lineback (2:35) and Taylor Smith (1:35) responded for UCLA, though, establishing a cushion. Magee's made penalty shot cut the Golden Bears' deficit in half once more, but the Bruin defense withstood one final push. Mantellato made a game-winning steal to seal the result.

No. 3 seed UCLA vs. No. 4 seed California

SCOREBOARD	1	2	3	4	FINAL
No. 3 UCLA	4	1	3	2	10
No. 4 California	1	4	1	3	9

6x5: UCLA – 4/13, California – 4/13
Penalties: UCLA – 0/0, California – 1/1

UCLA Goals: Elektra Urbatsch 3, Bia Mantellato 2, Taylor Smith 2, Tali Stryker 2, Emma Lineback 1
UCLA Saves: Lauren Steele 13

California Goals: Maria Bogachenko 3, Abbi Magee 2, Julia Bonaguidi 1, Rosalie Hassett 1, Harper Price 1, Eszter Varro 1
California Saves: Talia Fonseca 7