A young team, UCLA women’s water polo said it enters each game with an eye toward a new experience.
The Bruins secured a victory on Sunday while bringing in freshman players to fill roles while some starters were missing.
Leaving the UC Irvine Invitational, UCLA played its best in the last game of the weekend against Arizona State, securing a 14-7 victory.
“The experience this weekend was good for us and we played with missing players, but people who don’t play much got much more playing time,” said coach Brandon Brooks.
Playing No. 5 ASU was not just another victory for No. 3 UCLA; rather, it provided insight into how its new freshmen could perform when left to fill the starters’ shoes for longer periods of playing time.
Brooks said the tournament was an experience that proved the Bruins had enthusiasm and young talent.
Having had the chance to step up to the plate and show their contributions to the team against ASU, freshman players like center Alexa Tielmann, who contributed two goals, are able to use their experience coming into the rematch on Saturday.
“(The other centers and I) had to step up and fill in the shoes that weren’t there,” Tielmann said. “The people who defend my position play differently, and I just have to remember how they defend and learn to apply it in the (game) coming up.”
Sunday’s game against the Sun Devils was a learning experience for the Bruins in more ways than one. In addition to the youth players gaining experience, sophomore attacker Emily Donohoe said the team has tried to recreate ASU’s aggressive style of play in practice.
“Playing them (ASU) gave us the feeling of how they are as a team, who the players are and what types of plays they use,” Donohoe said. “We went in knowing that it was going to be a harder game. There was that tired emotion.”
Having played three games, including a battle with undefeated USC, prior to the ASU game last weekend, UCLA was still able to push through its final game and win with a deep bench.
Because it was the fourth game of the tournament for both teams, the Bruins (16-2) said they are expecting a recharged Sun Devil (11-3) squad to come at them in Tempe, Ariz., this Saturday.
“We know that they are going to come out full force,” Donohoe said. “It gave us a heads up and gave us something to practice and work on all week.”