University of California, Santa Barbara

UC SANTA BARBARA
2025
Played all 29 games for the Gauchos, scoring a career-high 31 goals, good for fifth on the team … Provided 16 assists, also fifth on the team, to finish with 47 points on the season … The team’s first-choice sprinter, went 39-20 in opening sprints this season, finishing fourth in The Big West in both total sprint wins and sprint win percentage (.661) … Tallied 10 multi-goal games and two hat-tricks on the season, matching her career high with four goals in the Feb. 22 game against Biola … Set a new career high for points in a game in that contest against the Eagles, adding an assist to finish with five points on the day … Her other hat-trick was in the overtime win over Brown on Feb. 8 … Scored in each of the final three games of the season, including a goal and two assists in Santa Barbara’s overtime win over CSUN on Senior Day (April 12) … Ranked fourth on the team with a career-high 30 steals on the season.

2024
Named the team’s Rookie of the Year … ACWPC All-Academic Team, Outstanding level ... Played in all 29 games for the Gauchos, scoring 14 goals and adding 17 assists … Ranked fourth in the conference and led all Big West freshmen with both 31 sprint wins and a .689 sprint win percentage on the season … Had two six-point games on the season, providing two goals and four assists against Whittier on Jan. 20 and four goals with two assists against Biola on Jan. 27.

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HIGH SCHOOL
Competed on the USA Water Polo Youth Futures National Team in 2022 and the Cadet National Team in 2021 … Placed in the top three at the 2019 and 2023 USA Water Polo Junior Olympics … USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program National Champion in 2022 … Finished in the top three at both the 2020 and 2021 USA Water Polo ODP National Championships … A four-year letterwinner in both water polo and swimming at Los Alamitos High School … All-Sunset League honoree her junior and senior years … Helped the Griffins win four consecutive Sunset Conference Championships from 2020-2023 … Finished third at the California State Championships in 2022 … USA Water Polo Academic All-American as a freshman, sophomore and senior … Also earned USA Water Polo First Team All-America honors in 2019 … Also won the Surf League 100-yard freestyle as a swimmer in 2021 and finished second at the 2022 CIF Southern Section Division 1 Finals.

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PERSONAL
Daughter of Lisa and Joe Valaika … Majoring in Psychology at UC Santa Barbara … Plans to pursue a career as a sports psychologist after graduation … Lists winning league championships in both swim and water polo as a high school senior as her most memorable athletic achievement … Roots for the Chicago Cubs … Lists Caitlin Clark and Giannis Antetokounmpo as her favorite athletes … Listens to Brent Faiyaz and Rex Orange County … Her favorite movies are White Chicks and The Hangover … Enjoys baking and thrift shopping in her free time.