Lauren Steele Season 2024

UCLA CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• ACWPC Player of the Year (2024)
• Peter J. Cutino Award finalist (2024)
• NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player (2024)
• 3-time ACWPC All-America selection (First Team - 2024, 2026; Second Team - 2025)
• MPSF Newcomer of the Year (2024)
• 3-time All-MPSF honoree (First Team - 2026, 2025, Second Team - 2024)
• MPSF All-Newcomer Team member (2024)
• 2-time NCAA All-Tournament Team member (First Team - 2024, Second Team - 2026)
• MPSF Tournament Most Valuable Player (2024)
• 2-time MPSF All-Tournament Team member (2026, 2024)
• 4-time MPSF Player of the Week (last March 31, 2026)
• 4-time MPSF Newcomer of the Week (last April 23, 2024)
• 2-time ACWPC All-Academic Team member (Superior - 2026, Excellent - 2024)
• 2-time MPSF All-Academic Team member (2026, 2025)
• 2-time Big Ten Spring Academic Honor Roll member (2026, 2025)
• 8-time Athletic Director's Honor Roll member (last Spring 2026)

2026
Played in 23 of 26 games … allowed 201 goals across 77.0917 quarters played for goals against average of 8.41 … totaled one goal on 13 shot attempts (7.7%) … logged team highs of 222 saves (9.65 saves per game) and 34 steals … earned spot on ACWPC All-America First Team … made All-MPSF First Team … voted onto NCAA Championship All-Tournament Second Team after posting 17 saves and three steals across two games … selected to MPSF All-Tournament Team after recording 41 saves – including game- and season-high 20 against second-seeded Stanford in semifinal round (April 11) – across three games … qualified for ACWPC All-Academic Team, earning “Superior” designation …  member of MPSF All-Academic Team … named MPSF Player of the Week (March 31) after piling up 21 saves, two assists and two steals during two-game home sweep of No. 5 Arizona State and No. 7 LMU … posted game- and season-high four steals against No. 1 Stanford (March 7) … logged 10 or more saves in 11 games, including game-high 14 stops that helped secure 10-9 victory against No. 3 USC in Barbara Kalbus Invitational semifinal round (Feb. 14) … scored goal in 15-10 win against No. 12 UC Irvine (Feb. 7) … recorded game-high 13 saves to help pick up 12-9 victory against No. 2 USC in Triton Invitational final (Feb. 1) … earned spot on Big Ten Spring Academic Honor Roll ... named to Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for Fall 2025, Winter 2026 and Spring 2026.

2025
Played in 25-of-26 games, making 25 starts while posting an 18-6 record on the year in the cage … registered 259 saves (11.59 per game), which the total ranks sixth all-time on UCLA's single-season charts … she also had 46 steals (led the team and ranked third in the MPSF) and 15 assists (ninth on the team) … also scored six goals on 23 shots (.261) … she scored a season-high and career-high-tying two goals in a win over No. 9 Fresno State on Jan. 26 at the California Cup … had a goals against average of 9.63 on the year (217 goals allowed in 90.156 quarters played) … collected a season-high and career-high-tying 21 saves in the double overtime loss to No. 2 Stanford in the MPSF Championship game at home on April 27 ... named to Athletic Director's Honor Roll for Fall 2024, Winter 2025 and Spring 2025.

2024
Played in all 26 games, making 26 starts while posting a 26-0 record on the year in the cage … registered 268 saves (12.95 per game), which the total ranks fourth all-time on UCLA's single-season charts and is a Bruin freshman record … she also had 39 steals (led the team) and eight assists … also scored seven goals on 27 shots (.259) … qualified for ACWPC All-Academic Team, earning “Excellent” designation … she scored a season-high two goals twice, in a win at No. 12 UC Santa Barbara at the UCSB Winter Invitational (Jan. 21) and in a 15-8 win over No. 3 Stanford (Mar. 30) … had a goals against average of 6.72 on the year (139 goals allowed in 82.771 quarters played) … collected a season-high 21 saves in a win at No. 10 UC Irvine (Feb. 24) at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational … it marked the most saves by a Bruin goalkeeper since Caitlin Dement registered 22 stops in an 8-3 win over UC Davis on Feb. 21, 2010 ... named to Athletic Director's Honor Roll for Winter 2024, Spring 2024.

HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB
Was a three-time letterwinner in water polo at Orange Lutheran High School … named CIF Southern Section Open Division Player of the Year and Trinity League Player of the Year in 2023 … played club at LAMO (Lamorinda Water Polo Club) … earned First-Team All-Junior Olympics honors in 2023 … helped lead U.S. Women’s Youth Team to a first-place finish at the 2022 FINA Youth World Championship as well as a gold medal at the 2022 Pan American U17 Championships … named OC Register’s 2023 Player of the Year.

PERSONAL
Full name: Lauren Jane Steele … born in Greenwich, Conn. … parents are John and Joanne Steele … has an older sister, Jacquie, and an older brother, John … her uncle, Thomas James Laughlin (ring name Tommy Dreamer), is a professional wrestler … lists her greatest athletic thrill as the comeback CIF Championship victory with Orange Lutheran HS in 2023 … decided to attend UCLA because of the “combination of amazing academics and athletics” … hobbies include going to the beach, surfing, hanging out with friends and any outdoor or sports activity … lists Alex Morgan, the late Kobe Bryant, and Serena Williams as athletes she admires  … major is political science.