No. 4 Cal Begins MPSF Play

AT SRAC POOL | SAN JOSE, CALIF.

SATURDAY, MARCH 1
NO. 4 CAL (11-1) VS NO. 18 SAN JOSE STATE (11-6) | 11 AM PT
LIVE STATS | LIVE STREAM

The No. 4 California women's water polo team stays on the road this weekend for its MPSF opener at No. 17 San Jose State. The Golden Bears enter the weekend with their second-best mark through 12 games all time at 11-1. Cal went 3-1 at last weekend's Barbara Kalbus Invitational, where it finished in fifth place with a 13-11 win over No. 8 UC San Diego.The Bears won their MPSF opener in each of the previous two years.

BEAR NECESSITIES

BARBARA KALBUS INVITATIONAL RECAP
Cal earned three more wins over top-20 opponents in Irvine, starting off by setting a new season opponent low for goals in a 17-3 blowout over No. 16 UC Santa Barbara. Following their first loss of the season – a 12-11 thriller against No. 3 Hawaii – the Bears bounced back with wins of 14-11 over No. 6 Long Beach State and 13-11 against UCSD.

LEADING THE WAY
The Bears' ACWPC All-American leaders have continued to power their offense, with Elena Flynn's team-best seven goals at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational giving her 27 on the year, second only to Ruby Swadling's 28 goals. Swadling – a two-time All-American who missed the 2024 season to train for the Australia National Team – crossed the 100 career-goal milestone with her five-goal season high in the Bears' 16-11 win over the Beach on Jan. 26. It was one of five hat tricks on the season for Swadling, tied with Flynn for the team high.

Flynn – who earned her third consecutive All-America nod in her debut season for the Bears in 2024 after transferring from UC Irvine – has scored multiple goals in 11 of 12 games this season.

2025 Cal Season Stats

NEWCOMERS MAKING WAVES
Thanks to an assortment of brilliant goals to go with one assist, freshman Ester Varró recorded a game-high six goal contributions in Cal's last home win, 18-11 over No. 15 UC Davis on Feb. 15. Three days later, she joined freshman Rosalie Hassett as the only Bears to be named MPSF Newcomer of the Week. Hassett earned the honor after tallying five goals, four assists, three steals and two drawn exclusions in the Bears' 3-0 season-opening weekend at the Fresno State Polo-Palooza.

STRONG START
Cal started 9-0 for the fifth time in program history following last weekend's win over UCSB. Now at 11-1, the Bears have tied their 2022 counterparts for the second-best start to a season in program history, behind only their 14-0 mark in 2009.

GOLD MEDAL BEARS
In November, Julia Bonaguidi and Hassett competed for Team USA in the 2024 Pan-American Championships, putting away seven and six goals, respectively, on their way to an 18-5 win over Argentina in the final. They became the first Bears to win gold at the tournament since current Cal associate head coach Heather Petri and Elsie Windes in 2011.

Bonaguidi and Hassett have carried that momentum into the season, putting away 15 and 12 goals, respectively, through 12 games.

2024 RECAP
Boasting the nation's best defense throughout the year, Cal finished as the runner-up in both the NCAA and MPSF Championships, advancing to the NCAA Championship final for the second time in program history. The Bears posted their second straight 19-win season, going 19-7 (.731), good for their highest win percentage since 2018. At the heart of their success was the play of graduated senior goalkeeper Isabel Williams, who set the team's all-time career saves record on her way to becoming the first Bear in program history to win the prestigious Peter J. Cutino Award, given to the top player in the NCAA.

HALL OF FAME COACHING STAFF
Cal head coach Coralie Simmons and Petri are among the most decorated figures in the sport. Simmons – one of the great trailblazers of the women's water polo world who earned two NCAA Player of the Year awards while competing for UCLA, won three NCAA Championships and an Olympic silver medal with Team USA – was one of five members in the 39th induction class of the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame in 2023. Her 142 wins at Cal rank second in program history. Last May, she became the first female head coach in NCAA history to reach the NCAA championship game. Petri – the only four-time female Olympian in Cal history – was named to the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2023. Joining them on the staff for the fourth straight year is assistant coach Lance Morrison, who played Division I water polo at Pacific.

STAY POSTED
For further coverage of Cal women's water polo, follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalWWPolo), Instagram (@calwwpolo) and Facebook (CalWomensWaterPolo).