LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 8, 2023) — The No. 11 UC Santa Barbara women's water polo team (17-9, 1-4 Big West) played a tough, close match against No. 7 (T) Long Beach State (16-6, 4-1 Big West) Saturday night, keeping within two goals of their top-10 opponent for all but the final two minutes, eventually falling, 12-6. Madison Walker made 12 saves in the Gaucho goal, her fifth double-digit performance in the last six matches.

No. 11 UCSB 6, No. 7 (T) Long Beach 12
Goalscorers: Caitlyn Snyder, Nina Munson, Juju Amaral, Cami Mras, Delaney Palmer, Annie Kuester

The Gauchos started strong, with Nina Munson giving them a 1-0 lead after the first quarter, and Annie Kuester doubling that advantage in the second. Caitlyn Snyder made it 3-1 Gauchos a minute before halftime, but the Beach got a goal back before the break. The hosts scored again to start the third quarter, tying the match at 3-3 and kick-starting a back-and-forth scoring frenzy. By the end of the quarter, it was a 7-5 game, with Long Beach leading. UCSB did their best to stay close, but the Beach pulled away late, scoring four times in the final two minutes.

UP NEXT
UCSB will be back in action in a week, heading to Cal State Fullerton for their first-ever matchup against the Titans on Saturday, April 15. Cal State Fullerton is in their first year as a program, and played (and won) their first ever match at UCSB's Campus Pool during the 2023 Winter Invite in January. The ball will hit the water at 1 p.m. on the 15th at the Titans Aquatics Center.