What would have completed a sweep for the UCLA women’s water polo team this weekend was spoiled by a gut-wrenching defeat to a bitter rival.
The Bruins traveled to Irvine to compete in the UC Irvine Invitational this past weekend. They won three of their four matchups, and avenged a prior loss to Stanford.
However, in the championship game of the tournament, the Bruins faced their rival, the No. 1 Trojans.
This matchup would prove too tough for the Bruins, who lost 7-6 in overtime.
“We are feeling as good as we can after a loss in the championships,” said senior utility Becca Dorst. “We have to keep our heads high and we can’t feel bad about losing to a great team in overtime.”
Despite the loss, junior attacker Emily Donohoe stated that the team is in a good place.
“I feel that we are in a good spot because we have faced all of the top teams,” Donohoe said.
Dorst spoke about the benefits of playing this high a level of competition, saying the experience helps the team to find its character.
“We got to play against the top four or five teams in the country; those are high-pressure games which allow you to find what kind of character your team has,” Dorst said.
Next up, UCLA returns to action against Loyola Marymount on March 1.
Compiled by Nathaniel Liebes, Bruin Sports contributor