This post was updated Sept. 7 at 9:47 p.m.

The phrase “West Coast, Best Coast” refers to the western United States’ perceived superiority compared to the eastern region, citing the west’s natural beauty and outgoing culture.

How much the term applies to aquatic sports has yet to be settled, but the Bruins may have added to the geographical debate.

No. 1 UCLA men’s water polo (7-0) swept the Princeton Invitational at the DeNunzio Pool in Princeton, New Jersey. The squad opened with a pair of 21-point scores Friday, giving up just five to No. 14 California Baptist (5-3) and six points to No. 19 George Washington (2-7). UCLA followed those outings with a 16-9 victory over No. 4 Fordham (5-1) and a 24-10 victory over Bucknell (1-6) Saturday.

Besides Cal Baptist, UCLA had not faced any of these opponents since 2019 and boasts undefeated records against all four. A strong collective effort extended those win streaks into 2025.

“We don’t ever want to rely on one or two players,” said coach Adam Wright. “We have players that have unique skillsets, that have the ability to lead the team when needed. But for us, the strength is the group. The reality is, to have a balanced attack is way more dangerous than having an individualistic attack.”

At least 10 players have hit nylon in each of the Bruins’ seven contests this season, with the squad putting up 15-plus points in each affair and surpassing the 20-point mark in over half of them. The team recorded a season-high 24 goals in its most recent matchup against Bucknell, with redshirt junior attacker Vinnie Merk posting a career-high five points on two goals and three assists.

An array of multi-score performances supplemented Merk’s weekend efforts. Saturday’s match against Fordham pit UCLA against its highest-ranked opponent so far this season. Although six Bruins each achieved double-digit scores in the match, the Rams countered that with nine points of their own, forcing the Bruins’ only single-digit margin of victory in 2025. The Bruins’ four-game slate across just two days – the most condensed stretch of this season’s schedule – may have contributed to the tightly-contested match.

But UCLA aims to execute, regardless of accumulated fatigue caused by packed stretches.

“If we’re treating the weekend that we have one game differently than the one where we have two games, it’s not the mindset we want to be in,” said sophomore utility Bode Brinkema. “If we have two games, it’s just the same thing – it doesn’t matter how many games we have.”

Goalkeeper Nate Tauscher only played the entire game when UCLA battled Fordham. The redshirt sophomore racked up nine saves in the contest and 33 across the whole weekend. Wright subbed in redshirt freshman Nick Tovani by the second half in every other match, collecting his first collegiate performances.

Heightened competition continued until the end of the tournament. The Bruins allowed double-digit points for the first time this season in their game against Bucknell. But 15 Bruin scorers, including freshman attacker Jackson Harlan’s hat trick, quelled the Bisons’ attack.

The beginning of the 2025 campaign has given Wright opportunities to test out new rotations and player combinations, which have helped carve out leadership roles on a young roster.

“The best thing we can do is prepare for the big situation,” said redshirt senior attacker Chase Dodd. “Being able to come out here and play Fordham – that’s a great example of being able to do that. I feel like my stepping more into this leadership role helps because of what I’ve done in the past – how I’ve had success in the past. I’ve also had major failures in the past, and I’m able to share that with everyone.”

And Fordham is not the only foe that can help simulate those crucial moments.

UCLA saw valuable experience in an exhibition match against Pro Recco, which is widely considered to be the most prestigious international water polo club, Wednesday.

Despite the 16-11 loss, sophomore attacker Ryder Dodd and junior center Marcell Szécsi netted three goals apiece to lead the Bruins’ scoring effort. Tauscher posted 14 saves and two steals on the defensive end.

The Bruins can look to carry this early-season success into next weekend’s home debut at the Spieker Aquatics Center, where they will square off against UC Irvine and Harvard on Friday before Saturday’s matchup against Pepperdine.

“I think the best part was to get a lot of the younger guys … to get to play against these guys (Pro Recco),” Chase Dodd said. “That’s where we want to get our level to be. We want to be at the level of some of the top teams in the world. It was a really good way to find our scale plus learn a couple of new things and also give us some confidence going on to the rest of the season.”