Anna Pearson is the best pure center in the country.

Just ask any Bruin.

Former coach Adam Wright has repeatedly said it, including in 2024 when she was a sophomore on the undefeated, national title-winning team.

And interim co-head coach Jason Falitz, alongside plenty of her teammates, have said it this season.

The senior makes up one portion of UCLA women’s water polo’s “center squad,” a name Falitz said they call themselves.

On offense, centers attack the area of the pool just in front of the goaltender, often facing the most physical and tenacious defense, all while serving as the central point in the water. While other players take shots farther out from the net, most goals scored by a center come within 2 yards of the net.

When centers are playing their best, they are able to draw pressure and attention away from the outside edge, allowing better shooting lanes to open up for their teammates.

Pearson’s quality comes from her technicality in front of the net.

“Pearson is powerful and methodical, so it maybe doesn’t look like she’s throwing the ball that hard, but she knows where she is at, as far as where she is in front of the goal, and she has the ability as she turns to read the goalie,” Falitz said. “Sometimes it doesn’t look like she’s shooting the ball hard, but the placement is perfect, and so she’s able to lean one way, shoot the other way, get the ball past the keeper. She’s savvy like that.”

Falitz – who played center himself – said the most difficult part about playing the position can be the constant and aggressive physicality from opposing defenders. The interim co-head coach said his staff has sent clips to officials of defense against Pearson they feel should have been called.

But because of the nature of the game, much of the more violent parts are obscured by the water – players get scratched, pulled and hit, sometimes without any notice from referees.

And all of that is only elevated at the center position.

“It’s a hard position to play, and quite frankly, a center of her level, she’s getting her you-know-what kicked at every moment, and it can be frustrating,” Falitz said.

Part of what makes Pearson so successful is her ability to keep a level head, no matter what’s going on underwater.

“This year, it’s been incredible because she continues to get physically taken advantage of, in my opinion,” Falitz said. “But she keeps playing. She keeps going. She’s not taking dumb exclusions or bad exclusions. There’s always moments. But for me, that’s the biggest thing, is her maturity and being able to stay level and not get too hot in the game and let her emotions get the best of her.”

On top of not committing exclusions, Pearson is also excellent at drawing exclusions, creating 6-on-5 opportunities for the Bruins.

Pearson said relying on her teammates to finish the job and score on power plays when she earns exclusions helps her keep a positive mindset, even when being actively pushed down.

“People taking exclusions on me is great because then we have a 6-on-5,” Pearson said. “Putting the 6-on-5 away is also really awesome, and that keeps me going. But as long as I’m doing something positive for my teammates, that really keeps me going.”

Pearson has developed as a leader across her four years as well.

Freshman attacker Katherine O’Dea said she looks up to Pearson in and out of the water.

“I really admire her hard work, and her dedication towards the sport and her passion. She has such great passion in the water. I can feed off of that passion,” O’Dea said. “The way she holds herself and embodies leadership and aggressiveness and passion towards the sport, I really appreciate that and look up to that as a freshman.”