The UCSD Women’s Club Water Polo team flew out to Texas A&M on Thursday, May 2 in order to compete in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) National Collegiate Club Championship (NCCC). They showed their best in 4 games across 3 days, which earned them the title of 3rd best team in the nation!

Going in as the 4th place seed, the Tritons first played the 13th place seed: Virginia Tech. During this game, goals were made by 10 different scorers and the team made a total of 18 steals. Their 17-3 victory earned them a spot in the top 8.

The next day, UCSD played Florida State. They won again, with a score of 14-3, which earned them a spot in the top 4! Stats of note include: 4 goals by Tania Frank and 6 blocks made by goalie Brynna Moore. Just a few hours later, the Tritons played in the semifinals. This was their toughest match of the weekend as they faced the top seed: University of Michigan. The Tritons were down 1-5 at the end of the first half, but adapted to their competition both offensively and defensively. They put up a great fight but ultimately fell short by one goal, with a final game score of 7-8.

On the final day of the tournament, the players of UC San Diego battled UC Davis for third place. The game went back and forth, but the Tritons managed to pull through 12-9. Amanda Martilla drew 4 ejections, and Natalie Kaplanyan stepped up to score 6 goals. Goalie Story Waxman made 8 blocks, and the field players made a combined 5 fieldblocks.

The team was recognized with a 3rd place plaque for their wins at Nationals. For their stellar performance this weekend, 2 players from UCSD were selected to the All-Tournament Team (which is determined by coach vote). Natalie Kaplanyan earned a spot on the First Team and Tania Frank earned a spot on the Second Team.

The Tritons would like to thank the CWPA and Texas A&M for hosting. They would also like to extend their appreciation to their coaches - Macey Kadifa, JJ Kadifa, and Mackenzie Cottle - as well to all the friends and family who supported them from near and far; without these people, the team’s success throughout this season would not have been possible.