This post was updated Jan. 23 at 8:40 p.m.

Change and continuity all in one.

A new head coach doesn’t necessarily mean a new style – especially if the interims have a thorough history with the program.

No. 3 UCLA women’s water polo will kick off its 2026 campaign with two exhibition matches, facing No. 4 California (3-0) and No. 1 Stanford (1-0) in the California Cup on Saturday at the Spieker Aquatics Complex. It will conclude the cup with non-conference plays against No. 9 Fresno State (3-1) and No. 6 Long Beach State (4-0) on Sunday – the first matches that will count toward its regular season record.

Although coach Adam Wright stepped away from daily operations for the 2026 season, the Bruins are working toward a seamless transition.

“Adam has obviously taught me a lot over the course of me being here,” said interim co-head coach Jason Falitz “All the experiences are paying off now with the ability to take on this role and make sure that this group doesn’t miss a beat going forward.”

Falitz joined the women’s program in 2021 as the associate head coach after working with the men since 2015. He has won five national championships.

“I think a lot of the foundational branding of UCLA is going to stay pretty similar to how it’s been in past years,” said senior utility Genoa Rossi. “I’m really looking forward to the energy that Jason brings.”

New to the women’s coaching staff is fellow interim co-head coach Matt Kubeck, a former Long Beach State goalkeeper who previously worked for the Stanford men’s and Loyola Marymount women’s teams before joining the UCLA men’s staff in 2024.

“To have him be able to really work technique and specific details with the goalies … is going to be a massive benefit,” Falitz said. “And something that’s unique that he brings to the program that I don’t think we’ve had on the women’s side in a little.”

UCLA returns nine of its top-10 scorers from a 20-6 team that lost in the MPSF finals and NCAA semifinals. Junior goalkeeper Lauren Steele – the 2024 ACWPC Player of the Year – boasted 253 saves and a 68% save rate, leading the MPSF in both categories.

A quartet of veteran strength returns offensively, headlined by redshirt senior attacker Emma Lineback. The Second-Team ACWPC All-American led the team with 102 points last season and has the opportunity to step into a greater leadership role in 2026.

“This year, I’m really trying to be a good leader in the way that everyone feels like they have a voice on the team, and everyone feels comfortable,” Lineback said. “I try to lead by example. We have a lot of standards in our program, and I really want to try and uphold those standards.”

Arguably the most efficient offensive player is senior utility Anna Pearson, who led the team with 94 exclusions and 59 goals.

Senior center Bia Mantellato will control the middle of the pool for her second year in Westwood after transferring from the University of Hawai’i. The senior tallied 52 goals last season – good for second on the team. Senior attacker Taylor Smith also posted a strong campaign as the fourth Bruin to score 40 or more goals.

Defensively, the Bruins return Rossi, who finished 2025 with 10 field blocks – good for second on the team. And she will have the chance to expand her role offensively in her final season as a Bruin.

“I’ve been a defensive-minded player throughout all my years of water polo, and so I’ve been working a lot on my shooting and facilitating the offense,” Rossi said. “I’m really looking forward to hopefully being able to showcase that this year.”

A trio of sophomores – Tali Stryker, Jojo Walters and Jenna Human – should continue to contribute after playing meaningful minutes in the pool last season. Stryker and Walters totaled 29 points each, and Human’s 21 assists ranked fourth on the team.

The Bruins will immediately jump into the ring of fire, facing four top-10 opponents across the opening weekend.

Hosting Polopalooza last weekend, Fresno State enters the California Cup with three wins under its belt. The Bulldogs return senior attacker Hailey Andress, who ranked second on the team with 65 goals last season. Long Beach State also enters undefeated but has yet to face a top-20 opponent. The Beach brought back attacker Elisa Portillo, who produced 105 points last season to lead her squad.

“We have a group here that – number one over everything else – is going to be selfless,” Falitz said. “They’ve made the decision, and they’ve demonstrated that by the way they’re training.”