In a stretch of victories against top-level opponents within the last month, the UCLA women’s water polo team continues to demonstrate why it is a thriving competitor in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. However, another “W” on its record is not always enough for a team that strives for consistent improvement.
No. 1 UCLA (15-1, 1-0) notched its sixth consecutive win Sunday against No. 9 San Jose State (12-5, 0-1) with a final score of 7-3.
Coming off of wins against then-No. 1 Stanford and No. 3 USC at the UC Irvine Invitational, the Bruins proved that they are not slowing down by coming out strong early on in the game Sunday. Leading into the second half, the Bruins held the Spartans, who boast two of the top-scoring players in the league, at two goals and created a comfortable four-point gap. This gap was maintained throughout the second half, and UCLA finished with a victory.
With three goals from junior attacker Rachel Fattal, two from sophomore utility Mackenzie Barr and one each from junior attacker Kodi Hill and junior defender Alys Williams, the Bruins managed to outscore a tactful Spartan offense. This task was made easier by redshirt senior goalkeeper Sami Hill, who had 12 saves throughout the game, five of which occurred in the scoreless fourth quarter.
Hill said that although the team won, it is not entirely satisfied with the win and that the team still sees room for improvement.
“I think it was more of a tempo problem. We pushed it a little too much and played a little too frantically. I think it comes down to keeping our composure. We were a lot less composed than we have been in the past,” Hill said.
There is a long road and many more challenges ahead this season as the Bruins fight to keep their position at the top. While they presented a strong offense in the first half, they managed to score only once in the third. If the Bruins cannot play a consistent game and finish strong offensively, it may not bode well for the upcoming game against No. 4 California on Sunday.
Fattal, the top goal-scorer for the game, said although the game was not everything they had hoped for, it was a win for them, and it is a good thing the team always sees room for improvement.
“I think we just have to get back to basics and work really hard in practice to improve overall,” Fattal said.
Compiled by Nicole Becannon, Bruin Sports contributor.