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Women’s water polo turns tide defensively to surf to success in weekend play

No. 5 UCLA women’s water polo responded to a loss during its first invitational by winning all four contests at the Michigan Invitational by at least seven goals. (Daily Bruin file photo)

By Kyle Boal

Jan. 28, 2020 12:52 a.m.

The Bruins’ offense starts with their defense, according to their leading scorer.

No. 5 UCLA women’s water polo (8-1) played four teams ranked in the top 25 this weekend at the Michigan Invitational, winning all four by an average score of 14 to 5.25.

Freshman utility Abbi Hill, who leads the Bruins in scoring with 24 goals in nine games, said as she grew up playing water polo, she learned that the key to a good offense is a good defense.

“Our defense contributes everything to our offense,” Hill said. “That is where we set up our offensive attack. Everything starts in defense and then the offense will eventually come. I think that a big part of our success this week was just being solid on defense and letting the offense follow and do its thing.”

UCLA held its opponents to an average of .209 shooting, with No. 11 Pacific reaching the highest mark of .250. The Bruins’ lowest offensive shooting mark of the weekend was .483 against the Tigers.

Whereas UCLA’s goalkeepers tallied 44 saves, good for 11 a game, opponents only registered 25 – with no opposing goalkeeper grabbing more than six stops. All three Bruin goalkeepers got playing time in the invitational, with each recording 12 or more saves across the weekend.

UCLA out-stole its opponents 43-32, including a season-high 15 steals against No. 24 Marist. Freshman attacker Hannah Palmer, who led the Bruins in steals at the Michigan Invitational with six, said coach Adam Wright emphasized the importance of defensive steals in order to generate scoring opportunities.

“(Wright) says our attack always starts in our defense,” Palmer said. “A good defensive stop or steal would lead into a counter, which would lead into most likely a goal.”

The Bruins held their opponents to a .121 scoring percentage on 6-on-5 opportunities in Ann Arbor, compared to allowing a .278 conversion rate a week ago at the UCSB Winter Invitational.

Wright said the team’s success at stopping power plays against ranked opponents was a good sign for the rest of the season.

“From a defensive standpoint, the last three games I think we only allowed one 6-on-5 goal,” Wright said. “It was much, much better, and the reality is also, from a counterattack standpoint, it was a great weekend for us to really be able to work on that.”

The Bruins averaged 14 points offensively on the weekend, more than a full point increase from their games in Santa Barbara.

Wright said the team’s performance showed defensive improvements that allowed for better offense.

“(The Michigan Invitational) was for us a big step forward from last weekend in Santa Barbara,” Wright said. “We were giving up too many goals, (but in Michigan) we did a really nice job on the defensive end, which only helped our offensive production.”

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Kyle Boal | Sports senior staff
Boal is currently a Sports senior staff writer on the women's water polo beat. He was an assistant Sports editor on the gymnastics, rowing, swim and dive, men's water polo and women's water polo beats. Boal was previously a contributor on the men's water polo and women's water polo beats.
Boal is currently a Sports senior staff writer on the women's water polo beat. He was an assistant Sports editor on the gymnastics, rowing, swim and dive, men's water polo and women's water polo beats. Boal was previously a contributor on the men's water polo and women's water polo beats.
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