NO. 2 UCLA (17-2, 1-0 MPSF) VS NO. 8 CAL (8-4, 0-0)
SATURDAY, MARCH 7 | 12 P.M. PT | SPIEKER AQUATICS COMPLEX | BERKELEY, CALIF.
LIVE STATS

NO. 5 UC IRVINE (13-5) VS NO. 8 CAL
SUNDAY, MARCH 8 | 1 P.M. PT | SPIEKER AQUATICS COMPLEX | BERKELEY, CALIF.
LIVE STATS



The No. 8 Cal women's water polo team returns from a bye week to face two top-5 teams this weekend, including its MPSF opener Saturday against No. 2 UCLA. The Bears and Bruins last squared off in last year's Third Place Game of the MPSF Championships, with UCLA squeezing out a 7-6 victory. The teams faced off three times last season, with the Bruins going 2-1 and each game being decided by two goals or less. Cal's showdown with No. 5 UC Irvine on Sunday will mark the third time the teams have played each other this season, with each team winning once.


 

BEARS OPEN MPSF PLAY
Cal begins play in the toughest conference in the nation Saturday when its hosts UCLA. As with every year, the MPSF is made up of some of the best teams in the country in 2020 - with USC (No. 1), UCLA (T-No. 2), Stanford (T-No. 2), Arizona State (No. 6), Cal (T-No. 8), San Jose State (No. 13) and Indiana (No. 14) all nationally ranked. Because of the strength of the conference and their showdown against UC Irvine on Sunday, five of the Bears' remaining eight regular season games are against top-10 opponents.

TOUGHEST SCHEDULE
The Bears have the toughest schedule in the nation in terms of nationally ranked opponents. Every team on Cal's schedule this season is currently in the CWPA top-25, and no other team can make that claim. Among the teams the Bears will play are 12 opponents currently ranked in the top-10.

1-2 PUNCH
Cal juniors Brigit Mulder and Claire Sonne form one of the most potent tandems in the MPSF. Each ranks in the top-10 in three different categories of MPSF leaders. Mulder is tied for the conference lead with 21 assists while Sonne is fourth with 19. Mulder leads the MPSF with 56 points and Sonne is 10th with 41. Mulder is also second in assists per game (1.31) while Sonne is third (1.19). In addition, Mulder also leads the conference in points per game (3.50), is third in points with 40 and is seventh in goals per game (2.19).

GARCIA COMES ON
Senior Kristina Garcia has become a major factor in Cal's playing rotation after seeing minimal action during her first three years in Berkeley. After scoring just one career goal heading into the season, she already has nine this year - and many of the clutch variety. Garcia scored the game-winning goal in overtime against UC Davis on Feb. 15, and made her presence felt during the Cal Cup at the end of January with five goals in three games. That included two goals in a win over No. 3 UC Irvine and two over No. 12 UC Davis.

NEW-LOOK BEARS
In addition to losing its six seniors from last year, Cal is playing this season without Emma Wright, Kitty Lynn Joustra and Elli Protopapas - three of the Bears' top four scorers from a year ago who each are taking this season off to train with their respective national teams in preparation for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Wright, a three-time ACWPC All-American, has already helped Canada qualify for the Summer Games while Joustra (The Netherlands) and Protopapas (Greece) is looking to do the same. Each will get her chance at the 2020 World Qualification Tournament in Italy, which was originally scheduled for later this month but has been postponed until May because of concerns over the coronavirus. Alums Anna Illes (Hungary) and Carla Carrega (Italy) are also looknig to qualify. Former Bear Roser Tarrago has also already helped Spain qualify for the Summer Games. Joustra is a two-time All-American (including a First Team selection last year) while Protopapas was named to the 2018 MPSF All-Newcomer Team and ranked fourth on the the Bears with 31 goals last year.

ABOUT NO. 2 UCLA
• Bruins, like the Bears, are coming off a bye week
• UCLA has already played one MPSF game, defeating San Jose State
• FR Abbi Hill ranks in the top-10 in the MPSF in six different statistical categories
• CAL ALL-TIME VS. UCLA: 12-57

ABOUT NO. 5 UC IRVINE
• UCI takes on No. 18 UC Davis on Saturday before meeting up with the Bears
• Notched wins over No. 5 ASU and No. 10 Michigan at Barbara Kalbus Invitational
• Has five victories over top-10 teams this season
• CAL ALL-TIME VS. UC IRVINE: 20-2