2023 Women's Water Polo Roster
Roster
Val Ayala
- Position:
- Attacker
- Height:
- 5-8
- Class:
- Graduate Student
- High School:
- Foothill HS
- Hometown:
- Anaheim, Calif.
UCLA CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
โข 4-time ACWPCย All-American (Honorable Mention 2019, 2022, Second Team 2020, Third Team 2021)
โขย NCAA All-Tournament (Second Team 2021)
โขย All-MPSF (First Team 2020)
โข MPSF All-Newcomer Team (2019)
โขย MPSF/KAP7 Player of the Week (Apr. 27, 2021)
โข MPSF/KAP7 Newcomer of the Week (Jan. 22, 2019)
โข 6-time UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll (Winter 2019, Winter 2020, Spring 2020, Winter 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022)
2022
Was third on the team in scoring with 57 points โฆ totaled 34 goals (4thย on the team) and 23ย assists (tied for 4th on the team) โฆย also had 16 steals (4th on the team), nineย field blocks (third on the team), eight exclusions drawn (tied for 8th on the team), and was .500 on sprints (5-5) onย the yearย โฆ scored a season-high three goals three times (in a loss to No. 4 Stanford on Feb. 27, in a win over No. 9 Arizona State on Apr. 2, and in a win over sixth-seeded Indiana in the first round of the MPSF Tournament on Apr. 22)ย โฆ scored at least one goal in a season-best six consecutive games two times on the year โฆ scored at least one goal in 20-of-30 games and dished out at least one assist in 18-of-30 games on the season โฆ had 11 multiple-goal games including three hat tricks.
2021
Totaled 20 goals (5thย on the team), 16 assists (3rd on the team), 17 steals (led team), three exclusions drawn, and eight field blocks (2nd on the team)ย in 20 games played โฆ scored a season- and career-high four goalsย in a winย over No. 1ย USCย (Apr. 25) โฆ scored at least one goal in a season-best three consecutive games twice on the year โฆ scored at least one goal in 12-of-20 games and dished out at least one assist in 12-of-20 games on the season โฆ had five multiple-goal games including two hat tricks.
2020
Totaled 22 goals (tied for 5thย on the team), 15 assists (6thย on the team and 9thย in MPSF), 18 steals (3rdย on the team and 8thย in MPSF), and three exclusions drawn in 21 games played โฆ won 9-of-10 sprints (5thย in MPSF) โฆ registered two goals, three steals, and two field blocks to help the Bruins to a 12-4 victory over No. 7 Michigan (Jan. 25) โฆ notched a season-high three goals in a 16-4 win over Iona (Jan. 18) and a 16-6 win against No. 21 Wagner (Jan. 26) โฆ had six multi-goal games including the two hat tricks โฆ scored at least one goal in a season-best six consecutive games (Jan. 25-Feb. 8) and scored at least one goal in 14-of-21 games played.
2019
Totaled 34 goals (2nd on the team), 29 assists (3rd on the team), 18 steals (5th on the team) and 10 field blocks (3rd on the team) in 31ย games played (15ย starts) โฆ added two earned exclusionsย and won 4-of-7ย sprints โฆ named MPSF/KAP7 Newcomer of the Week (Jan. 22) after leadingย the Bruins in scoring as UCLAย went 5-0 with five wins over nationally ranked teams โฆ Ayala registered three hat tricks on the week, opening her collegiate career with three scores in a 10-6 win over No. 18 CSUNย and in a 10-6 win over No. 13 UC Irvine โฆ she tacked on one goal in a 17-8 win over No. 24 Cal Baptist and then scored three more in a 9-7 winย over No. 9 Michigan โฆ in all, Ayala scored 10 goals while collecting three assists, three steals and two drawn exclusions in the five-game span โฆ had nine multi-goal games and five hat tricks, including a career- and season-high three goals in three games previously mentioned as well as in wins over Fresno State (Jan. 27) and again vs. No. 6 UC Irvine (Feb. 10)ย โฆ scored at least one goal in a season-high six straight games Feb. 16-Mar. 3ย and scored at least one goal in 20-of-31 games she played.
NATIONAL TEAM
Was one of nine Bruins that representedย Team USA at the 2019ย FINA Women's Junior World Championship (Sept.ย 9-15) in Funchal, Portugal โฆ was on Team USA for the 2019 World University Games in Naples, Italy, in July as the Americans finished eighth with Ayala scoring a total of eight goalsย โฆ earned a spot on the Senior National Team roster in 2018 when sheย competed at the FINA Intercontinental Cup โฆ was a gold medalist for the 2018 Youth National Team at the Youth World Championships โฆ earned a spot on the team thatย went to the Junior World Championships inย Greece in 2017 โฆ participated in the Youth World Championships in 2016 โฆ placed first at the UANA Pan-American Games in 2015 โฆ was a member of the Development National Team in 2013.
ย
CLUB
Competed for SOCAL Water Polo Foundation in Tustin, Calif. โฆ won aย gold medal and received Most Valuable Player honors at the Junior Olympics and also, won gold at the Cal Cup Championships in 2018 โฆ took silver at the Junior Olympics, earned First Team All-American honors, won silver at the U.S. Club Championships, and placed third at the Cal Cup Championships in 2017 โฆ in 2016, she placed first at the Junior Olympics, earned Second Team All-American honors, placed third at U.S. Club Championships, and took the silver medal at Cal Cup Championships.
ย
HIGH SCHOOL
Coached by Jim Brumm at Foothill High School in Tustin, Calif., where she lettered in both water polo and swimming โฆ won the Crestview League Championship in 2017 and 2018 โฆ was a CIF semifinalist and Regional finalist in 2018 โฆ was named Crestview League Girlโs Female Athlete of the Year (OCADA) in 2018 โฆ earned MVP of the Crestview League, earned First Team All-CIFย and First Team All-Orange County in 2018 โฆ was a CIF Division 1 Quarterfinalist in 2017 โฆ earned First Team All-Crestview League, First Team All-CIF, and Second Team All-Orange County in 2017.
PERSONAL
Daughter of Carlos and Jenny โฆ has one older sister, Danielle, who plays water polo at UC Irvineย โฆ decided to attend UCLA because of its excellent athletic programs and facilities, along with the beautiful campus โฆ describes her greatest athletic thrill to date as playing Greece in the quarterfinal game at the FINA Juniorย World Championships in 2017 in front of a couple thousand people โฆ lists Kobe Bryant as the professional athlete she most admires โฆ hobbies and interests include traveling, watching basketball, and watching documentaries โฆ majoring in political science.
| VAL AYALA'S CAREER STATISTICS | ||||||||
| Year | GAMES | GOALS | SHOTS | PCT | AST | STL | BLK | EE |
| 2019 | 31 | 34 | 108 | .315 | 29 | 18 | 10 | 2 |
| 2020 | 21 | 22 | 43 | .512 | 15 | 18 | 8 | 3 |
| 2021 | 20 | 20 | 65 | .308 | 16 | 17 | 8 | 3 |
| 2022 | 30 | 34 | 92 | .370 | 23 | 16 | 9 | 8 |
| Totals | 102 | 110 | 308 | .357 | 83 | 69 | 35 | 16 |
