The Bruins were undefeated through 16 games until Saturday.

“First loss of the season, how does it feel,” joked Jenna Hurst.

But Hurst wasn’t some ordinary water polo player. And neither was her team.

No. 1 UCLA women’s water polo faced off against its alumni in a friendly match Saturday afternoon at Spieker Aquatics Center, losing 18-4 to the team of former Bruins. Hurst, who graduated in 2020, was one of more than 13 alumni who returned to the pool.

Alumni game day festivities included UCLA’s regular season matchup against Biola – which it won 23-4 – and an evening fundraiser. Rachel Whitelegge, who graduated in 2019, said it’s an opportunity for the alumni to relive the weekend as if they were still student-athletes.

“It’s one of the best days of the year being able to come back to campus, seeing the team, seeing my old teammates, reliving the glory days,” Whitelegge said. “It’s one of the happiest days of the year, by far.”

Gisselle Naranjo was the oldest program alumnus in the pool, last playing for the Bruins 11 years ago, while 2023 graduate Katrina Drake was the youngest.

Coach Adam Wright even jumped in the pool for the final stanza – and said his players convinced him to join in pregame – scoring goals of his own. During his limited minutes, he tucked one in over the goalkeeper’s shoulder from 1-meter out and scored a buzzer beater from across the pool.

“That’s always special when we can bully him into the pool and play with us a little bit,” Whitelegge said. “He hates it, but we refuse to play without him.”

Wright’s current players put in four goals and rotated heavily on defense, with multiple typical attackers or utility players seeing goalkeeper action, each adorned with a large foam concussion-safe helmet, and letting out the occasional scream as the ball hurtled toward them.

The usual goalkeepers escaped the cage, with freshman Lauren Steele taking to the offensive end and scoring a behind-the-back spinning goal off a penalty in the third quarter.

“Our goal is to continue to grow this. We have such a storied past here with women’s water polo,” Wright said. “It’s so nice for the current players to know who was here before them and who made the program better.”

Whitelegge is one of many UCLA water polo players who become water polo coaches after their time as an athlete. She currently coaches at Newport Harbor High School and Newport Beach Water Polo Club.

Freshman center Dania Innis said the day is an opportunity for the current students to learn from and about the alumni.

“It’s really inspirational, honestly, seeing what all of these past generations have been through and put into this team to make it what it is today,” Innis said. “It just shows that I have to uphold that standard and work for what everyone has worked for in the past, which is a national championship.”

Whitelegge played under Wright for the final two years of her tenure when he became the coach in 2017.

She added that watching this year’s team gives her hope for their postseason prospects.

“I think if there’s a year for them to do it, it’s right now,” Whitelegge said. “They look really good. They’re playing well together, and as long as they keep it going well, they should be in a really great spot come May.”