No. 3 seed UCLA women’s water polo (18-3, 4-2 MPSF) will begin its postseason campaign against No. 6 seed Indiana (15-9, 1-5) in the MPSF tournament commencing at the Spieker Aquatics Complex in Berkeley on Friday. The Bruins earned the three-seed after falling to the top-seeded Trojans in the final match of the regular season. UCLA won the tournament title most recently in 2024, but fell in overtime to No. 2 seed Stanford in the championship match last season. The Daily Bruin Sports’ women’s water polo beat predicts how UCLA will fare at this year’s MPSF tournament.

Gabriela Garcia
Assistant Sports editor

Prediction: MPSF champions

Time is of the essence.

The Bruins have experienced firsthand what a slow start and a feeble finish can do for a team after dropping both matches this season to No. 2 seed Stanford by just one score, and losing to No. 1 seed USC after a weak defensive second half.

But that is all in the past.

The postseason marks a fresh start and may be exactly what the Bruins need.

UCLA has shown that when it fires on all cylinders offensively and defensively, it can best any team.

Now all the Bruins need to do is execute when it matters most.

UCLA will take down Indiana easily after already proving they could with a blowout win over the Hoosiers on Feb. 27. And this time around, the Cardinal and Bruins will be on neutral territory with everything behind them.

After all, the offense has shown its capability, outscoring its opponents this season 297-165.

UCLA will overcome Stanford to make its way back to the championship match – for the third consecutive season – for a rematch against crosstown rival USC.

While the Trojans were able to shut down the Bruins center in their last matchup – a position where the team finds a good amount of offensive production – they will not have that opportunity again.

It will be key to spread the offense around the pool, and when the Bruins do, they will be walking away with their second MPSF title in three seasons.

Felicia Keller

Daily Bruin senior staff

Prediction: Lose in championship match

Third time’s the charm.

The Bruins have lost to No. 2 seed Stanford twice this season, but they won’t this third time.

They’ve learned. And what they took from their last tight loss to the Cardinal on March 7 will be the key.

UCLA has had a tough time playing a complete game, where all four quarters are played to the best of their ability. It has smashed three, but the fourth – or the first – has proven its downfall.

And interim co-head coach Jason Falitz noted exactly that issue against Stanford in March.

“Our approach in the last quarter on the goal was completely different than the first three quarters, and they’re going to have to find a way to want to put the ball down to win a game,” Falitz said.

Not this time.

UCLA will easily beat Indiana, they already did it once, besting the Hoosiers 18-7 on Feb. 27. After all, a time-honored tradition in the MPSF tournament is that the top teams win their games against the bottom three. And this time, Stanford won’t prove trouble.

But third time’s the charm has yet to be true for the likely MPSF final opponent, USC, which UCLA has beaten twice and lost to once. And the bigger prize is the NCAA tournament.

So, to set up for the trip down to UC San Diego in two weeks, where it takes home UCLA’s next national championship, it will fall to USC up in Berkeley, establishing that third time will be the charm in the final match of the season.

Kate Bergfeld

Daily Bruin contributor

Prediction: MPSF champions

Sometimes, a wake-up call is all you need.

And the Bruins got exactly that in their last match against the Trojans.

Having suffered its third loss of the season at USC to end the regular season, UCLA enters the MPSF tournament as the third seed with a chip on its shoulder. And coming off a loss adds extra motivation to win.

Indiana will fall during the first round once again, having been bested by the UCLA squad once before. With a 2-1 record against the crosstown rivals, a weak defense led to the Bruins’ demise during the Trojans’ Senior Day match. The Westwood bunch still has what it takes to triumph.

But Stanford stands in the way of a championship match bid.

Having lost to them twice this season, the Bruins have yet to take down the Cardinal. However, both matches were decided by a single goal scored in the final quarter of the game.

The offense has proven its ability to work past a goalie, but the defense will be a deciding factor.

And this time, UCLA is ready to stop them.