The second-seeded UCLA women’s water polo team will open this weekend’s MPSF Women’s Water Polo Tournament with a game against the seventh-seeded San José State Spartans this morning at 9 am PT. Today’s game won’t be televised, but it will be livestreamed through the MPSF website. A subscription is required.

Last Time Out

The Bruins concluded the regular season on Sunday by beating Southern Cal, 13-6.

While the Trojans got on the scoreboard first with a penalty shot just 58 seconds into the game, the Southern Cal lead didn’t last long. Annaliese Miller, Val Ayala, and Abbi Hill scored three consecutive goals to give the Bruins the lead for good. The Trojans picked up a goal with 40 seconds left in the quarter and UCLA led, 3-2, after one.

In the second quarter, the Bruins added a pair of goals from Bella Wentzel and Ayala, which sandwiched a Southern Cal goal and it was 5-3, Bruins at the half.

UCLA shut the Trojans out in the third quarter while tacking on four more goals. Brooke Maxson scored the first goal of the second half and Ayala netted what would be the game-winner to complete her hat trick. Malia Allen got in on the goal party with 4:30 to go in the third while Ayala scored her fourth of the game with 51 seconds to go, giving the Bruins a 9-3 lead after three.

The teams traded goals in the fourth quarter. Lexi Liebowitz put the Bruins in double digits to start the quarter off while Hannah Palmer and Katrina Drake each added an insurance goal for UCLA. Palmer also scored the last goal of the game to give the Bruins a 13-6 win.

San José State Spartans

Today’s game against the Spartans should be a formality as UCLA easily swept a weekend series against San José State in the first week of April. In fact, the only conference team the Spartans beat this season was Indiana once. Their other win came against Santa Clara. So, the Spartans should not be much of a match for the Bruins. This game should be over by halftime.

#2 UCLA Women’s Water Polo (11-3, 9-3)

Opponent: San José State Spartans (2-14, 1-11)
When: 9:00 am PT, Friday, April 30, 2021
Where: Mona Plummer Aquatic Center, Tempe, AZ
TV: None
Live Stream: MPSports.org (subscription req’d)
Live Stats: TheFosh.net

Official Preview

Go Bruins!!!

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