LA JOLLA, Calif — The No. 19 UC Santa Barbara Women's Water Polo team (1-3) is headed down south to compete at UC San Diego's Triton Invitational, hosted at Canyonview Aquatic Center this upcoming weekend. The Gauchos enter the tournament coming off a strong 17–7 win over Biola last week and will look to carry that momentum into a challenging slate in La Jolla. Santa Barbara opens play on Friday against No. 11 UC Irvine, then faces either No. 5 Hawai'i or Concordia Irvine on Saturday. The results of the opening matches will determine the Gauchos' final two opponents to close out the weekend.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Gauchos enter the Triton Invitational following a split doubleheader in Los Angeles last Friday. Santa Barbara dropped a tough contest against No. 2 USC but claimed victory over Biola, delivering a balanced performance, strong on both ends of the pool. Eliza Harlow recorded her first collegiate hat trick while Hadley Hall added four goals of her own. Lainey Weintre also contributed with two goals and three assists, while Siena Jumani anchored the defense in the cage with 11 saves, holding the Eagles scoreless for most of the first half. Cami Mras continued her dominant start to the season, scoring five goals across both matches, while Mia Sullivan tallied her first collegiate goal against USC.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS—
No. 11 UC Irvine (1-3) comes into the Triton Invitational with a similar record to the Gauchos and will look to turn the tide after losses at Polopalooza in Fresno. In a 15-7 win over San Jose State, redshirt senior Madi O'Hara led the Anteaters with five goals, while junior Lauren Hett added four more of her own. However, this momentum was abruptly halted with three straight losses to Fresno State, Indiana, and Cal to end the tournament. The Gauchos will come into this match looking for revenge as the Anteaters earned the 12-11 victory in their last matchup, which was the Big West Quarterfinal. Although most of the roster is fresh, returner Isabel Valaika will look for some of the same success she had in the last matchup, where she scored a clutch last-minute goal that kept the Gauchos in the game until the very end.
 
The Anteaters will look to continue their strong play, coming off a record-setting offensive year with 413 goals in 28 games played in the 2025 season. 2025 First Team All-Big West performer Hett also returns to lead the Anteaters offense, joined by eight newcomers to round out the roster.

No. 5 Hawai'i (2-1) enters the Triton Invitational as one of the top teams in the field after competing at Fresno State's Polopalooza to open the season. The Rainbow Wahine picked up wins over San Jose State and Michigan, with their lone loss coming against a fourth-ranked Cal squad. Hawai'i is coming off a historic 2025 season in which it finished 22-5, captured The Big West Championship, and earned a top-five national ranking.
The Rainbow Wahine return several key contributors, led by goalkeeper Daisy Logtens, the 2025 Big West Championship MVP. On the offensive end, Ema Vernoux, the reigning Big West Freshman of the Year, is back after leading the team last season with 78 goals.

Concordia Irvine (1-1) will open tournament play looking to build momentum after splitting its first two games of the season. The Eagles lost their opener, 19-4, to Loyola Marymount before rebounding with a 19-5 win over Whittier College. In that victory, Emiline Smiley led the offense with four goals, while Anna Tyukasz and Mia Hueston each added three.
The remainder of the Triton Invitational field is stacked with national contenders and familiar Big West opponents. Conference rivals No. 6 Long Beach State, No. 13 UC San Diego, and No. 16 UC Davis will all be in attendance, alongside national powers No. 2 USC and No. 3 UCLA. The field also includes No. 7 Loyola Marymount, No. 11 Arizona State, No. 17 Michigan, No. 21 San Diego State, and No. 24 Pomona-Pitzer, with Cal State Fullerton and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps not ranked. This competitive lineup promises a challenging weekend of West Coast water polo in La Jolla.
 
WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH
The action begins at 4 p.m. on Friday with the Gauchos and Anteaters. If the Gauchos win, they will play the winner of Hawai'i and Concordia University Irvine on Saturday morning; with a loss to UCI, Santa Barbara would play the loser of Hawai'i and the Eagles. From there, the Gauchos will play one more game on Saturday before a final game on Sunday. Times and opponents in those contests will be determined by Santa Barbara's results. Check ucsbgauchos.com for the most up-to-date schedule. The games will not be live-streamed this weekend, and only contests featuring the hosts UC San Diego will have live stats.
 
Tickets to attend the matches at Canyonview Aquatic Center in La Jolla are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking here.