RIVERSIDE, Calif. — The No. 18 UC Santa Barbara Women's Water Polo team opened up the 2026 season Friday afternoon at California Baptist's annual tournament, The Joust, ultimately falling No. 2 USC and the No. 25 Lancers in back-to-back matches in Riverside. For a number of Gauchos, these two games marked their first collegiate action, with several players finding the back of the net for the first time in their careers. Loretta Hovey and Cami Mras were named to the single-day event's eight-player all-tournament team.
 
No. 2 USC 17, No. 18 UC SANTA BARBARA 5
The Gauchos began the day against 2025 National Runners-up USC, scoring in all four quarters to generate some offensive highlights against one of the country's top programs. Mras led Santa Barbara with three goals in the opener, converting twice from five-meter penalty shots, while Eliza Harlow recorded her first collegiate goal in the third quarter. Hadley Hall added a fourth-quarter goal to round out the scoring for UC Santa Barbara, ending the game with a 5-17 scoreline for the Trojan win.
 
In goal, both Keira Wall and Siena Jumani made their collegiate debuts, Wall finishing with five saves and Jumani with three. The true freshman Jumani had the biggest moment of the game midway through the third quarter when she saved a USC penalty shot, denying the Trojans in the most high-pressure situation in her first game ever.
 
No. 25 CALIFORNIA BAPTIST 15, No. 18 UC SANTA BARBARA 7
Santa Barbara returned to the pool later in the afternoon to face California Baptist, with goals coming from multiple Gauchos across the pool. Isabel Valaika led the Gauchos' offense with three goals, including a pair in the second half, while Hovey followed with two of her own.
 
There were more firsts for the Gauchos against the Lancers, as Jumani made her first collegiate start and racked up four more saves in goal and Marta Maninetti found the back of the net late in the fourth quarter for her first collegiate score. Lainey Weintre added a second-quarter strike for her first of the season, and Hall continued her strong start to the season with another goal. Mras added her fourth tally of the day to close out Santa Barbara's scoring, with the Lancers taking the 9-16 decision.
 
UP NEXT
The Gauchos will get another look at the Trojans in one week, as they play a pair of games at USC's Uytengsu Aquatics Center on Jan. 23. Santa Barbara will take on Biola at 4:15 p.m. and USC at 5:45 p.m. next Friday.