The UCLA women’s water polo team is set to play top-ranked USC on April 4, with the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) regular-season championship at stake. The match will take place at USC’s Uytengsu Aquatics Center, beginning at 1 p.m. Pacific Time.
The outcome of this game will determine seeding for the upcoming MPSF Tournament. If third-ranked UCLA wins by two goals or more, it will secure the tournament’s No. 1 seed. However, if California defeats Stanford, a win by any margin would suffice for UCLA to claim the top spot. Meanwhile, first-place USC can clinch the top seed outright with a victory and enters the contest on a ten-game winning streak.
This season, UCLA has played against twelve teams ranked in the national top ten and holds a record of 10-2 in those contests, averaging a goal differential of plus-4.6 per game. The Bruins’ most recent games saw them defeat Arizona State and Loyola Marymount University while holding both opponents to their lowest goal totals of the season.
Three Bruins—Bia Mantellato, Anna Pearson, and Taylor Smith—were named to the Peter J. Cutino Award Watch List for their performances this year. Smith leads UCLA with 57 goals and was recognized as MPSF/Delfina Player of the Week after scoring fifteen goals during four games at an invitational event earlier in the season.
Lauren Steele earned her fourth career MPSF/Deflina Player of the Week honor following her defensive efforts against Arizona State and LMU last weekend, where she recorded twenty-one saves across two matches.
There have been coaching changes ahead of this critical matchup: Adam Wright stepped away from day-to-day operations as head coach for women’s water polo in 2026. Jason Falitz and Matt Kubeck have been appointed interim co-head coaches; together they are currently undefeated at UCLA (7-0). Former Stanford player Ryann Neushul also joined as an assistant coach.
Last season saw UCLA finish third nationally after entering postseason tournaments as top seeds but falling short in both conference and NCAA semifinals.
