San Luis Obispo County welcomed UCLA Women's Club Water Polo with clear skies and a crisp sixty-eight degrees this past weekend. After several months of training, most recently under the direction of new head coach Kate McCarthy, these Bruins faced their first official test as a team during the opening season tournament hosted at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
UCLA's team took some rough losses in their first two games, with their A team ending 2-12 against UCSB A and their B team ending in a 0-14 shut-out against Cal Poly A. However, we saw some improvements in the following games, with UCLA B player Katie Wilson scoring the B team's first goal of the tournament against Cal Poly B. We also witnessed UCLA A trailing close behind Cal Poly A, ending with a score of 4-8.
Despite these losses, Day 2 of the tournament brought back a determined and optimistic UCLA team. In the first game of the day, we saw UCLA A neck-in-neck with USC, providing us with one of the closest games of the tournament. Victory just out of reach, UCLA A ended the game with a score of 6-7, despite their relentless efforts. However, they were finally able to secure a 10-8 win in their final game against Cal Poly B.
Perhaps the most surprising game of the tournament proved to be UCLA's B team versus USC. After such a close game between USC and UCLA A, many spectators anticipated a brutal loss for UCLA's B team. What they received instead, however, was a team willing to give their all for this final game. Within minutes of the first quarter, UCLA B scored the first goal of the game and followed up with a second goal three minutes later, placing them at a 2-0 lead. However, USC's experience began to show through in the second quarter as they caught up to the Bruins, eventually leading to a 3-7 loss for UCLA.
Although they ended the tournament with only one win, spirits on the team remained high as viewers watched these UCLA women cheer each other on and end each game with their heads held high. Further serving to highlight the example set by Coach McCarthy, who was heard telling her team, "I hope you're all proud of yourselves, because I'm very proud of how today went. If there's anything that I can work on to be a better coach, come talk to me and let me know." With the next season tournament a month away, Bruin fans wait eagerly to see what this team will accomplish next.
