Women's Water Polo Beats Harvard, to Face USC in Semifinals

Friday, April 24

La Jolla, Calif.

4:00 PM (PT)

UCLA

21-4

Harvard

26-4

Team	1	2	3	4	OT	OT	SD	SD	SD	SD	SD	Final F
Harvard 2026	2	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5
UCLA (W)	4	4	4	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	15

Photo by: Mac Brown

Women's Water Polo Beats Harvard, to Face USC in Semifinals

April 24, 2026 | Women's Water Polo

Box Score Interactive Bracket

LA JOLLA, Calif. – Second-seeded UCLA rolled to a 15-5 victory against No. 7 seed Harvard Friday, advancing to the National Collegiate Water Polo Championship semifinal round. The Bruins will face No. 3 seed USC Saturday for a spot in the championship game.

Taylor Smith led the way for UCLA (21-4) Friday, scoring four goals. Emma Lineback also logged a hat trick for the Bruins, with Bia Mantellato and Anna Pearson each scoring twice. Lauren Steele (six) and Joey Niz (two) combined for eight UCLA saves. The Crimson (26-4) was paced by Heidi Heffelfinger's two goals. Harvard also played two goalkeepers, with Orli Cooper registering six saves and Sutchie Ofori-Nyako adding two.

The Bruins jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Lineback and Mantellato. The Crimson got on the board next, but Pearson answered moments later. Smith's first of the day came on the quarter's penultimate possession and Harvard answered with a buzzer beater to make UCLA's lead 4-2.

Smith completed her hat trick before the second quarter's midway point, pairing two more goals around one by the Crimson. Pearson's second was followed by Janna Tauscher's first with the Bruins, who took an 8-3 lead into halftime.

Lineback and Smith continued building on the lead, as each scored in the third quarter's initial two minutes. Harvard broke a scoring drought of 10:11, but UCLA again countered with two. It was Elektra Urbatsch and Jenna Human this time around. The Crimson added one more just before the final break, making the Bruin lead 12-5.

Niz did not allow a goal in the fourth quarter, while her team added three. Mantellato, Lineback and Dania Innis made the lead a game-high 10, where it would end.

No. 2 seed UCLA vs. No. 7 seed Harvard

SCOREBOARD	1	2	3	4	FINAL
No. 7 seed Harvard	2	1	2	0	5
No. 2 seed UCLA	4	4	4	3	15

6x5: Harvard – 1/6, UCLA – 1/3
Penalties: Harvard – 0/0, UCLA – 0/0

Harvard Goals: Heidi Heffelfinger 2, Maya O'Dea 1, Lucy Levenberg-Penklis 1, Niki Piovan 1
Harvard Saves: Orli Cooper 6, Sutchie Ofori-Nyako 2

UCLA Goals: Taylor Smith 4, Emma Lineback 3, Bia Mantellato 2, Anna Pearson 2, Jenna Human 1, Dania Innis 1, Janna Tauscher 1, Elektra Urbatsch 1
UCLA Saves: Lauren Steele 6, Joey Niz 2