This post was updated Apr. 24 at 7:34 p.m.

LA JOLLA — Consistency, consistency, consistency, has been the name of the game for the Bruins.

Sometimes, that consistency has dropped off for a quarter, either on offense or defense.

But not against the Crimson, with the Bruins scoring at least three goals in every quarter, while never allowing more than two from their opponent.

No. 2 seed UCLA women’s water polo (21-4, 4-2 Big Ten) took down No. 7 seed Harvard (26-4, 5-1 CWPA) 15-5 in the quarterfinal of the NCAA tournament on Friday evening at Canyonview Aquatic Center in La Jolla, California. UCLA will play No. 3 seed USC in the semifinal on Saturday at 6 p.m.

“Even if our offense isn’t going – and okay, we scored 15 goals – if we put our energy into defense, that’s what drives everything,” said interim co-head coach Jason Falitz. “They stayed consistent on defense the whole way, which fuels our counter, which then fuels our attack. But really it’s as simple as that. When this team focuses on the defense, especially with the goalie that we have, we’re pretty hard to score on.”

The Bruins took 32 shots for a .469 shooting percentage, compared to the Crimson’s 26 for a .192 percentage.

UCLA committed five offensive fouls in the game, including three in the first quarter.

“We definitely need to limit the offensives,” said senior attacker Taylor Smith. “We need to adjust earlier, especially to how the refs are calling the game – that’s something we can’t control. Learning early in the game, working for each other, and just being smart and controlling the game.”

Redshirt senior attacker Emma Lineback opened the scoring in the fourth minute of the game with a shot from the right flank, after a shot from senior utility Lily Gess bounced off the bar and back to the Bruins, resetting the clock.

Lineback also had two assists in the opening quarter, en route to a four-goal quarter to start off the Bruins. The Crimson countered with two goals of their own, including a buzzer beater, for a 4-2 Bruin lead heading into the second quarter.

There, UCLA kept its foot on the gas, extending its lead to 8-3 at halftime. Smith tacked on two more goals in addition to one from the first quarter for a natural hat trick.

“They (the Crimson) were coming back in a really deep zone, so it was really awesome to see Taylor just step up and shoot it,” said senior utility Anna Pearson. “It’s the best feeling when I’m in center – and Taylor – and I just look back and it goes in. Taylor’s shooting was amazing today.”

Harvard’s only goal of the quarter was scored by a sibling of a Bruin, with Crimson attacker Maya O’Dea – freshman attacker Katherine O’Dea’s older sister – skipping her shot off the water and past junior goalkeeper Lauren Steele.

At the end of another four-goal quarter in the third for UCLA, Harvard scored its second goal of the game in the final seconds of the quarter on a 7-on-6 opportunity to bring the score to 12-5.

The Bruins immediately countered to open the fourth quarter, as senior center Bia Mantellato redirected a pass from junior attacker Elektra Urbatsch just 20 seconds in, for her second goal of the game. 

UCLA held Harvard scoreless in the final quarter, while hitting the back of the net three times. Steele made six saves through the first three quarters, while junior goalkeeper Joey Niz subbed in for the final quarter and garnered two saves of her own.

Falitz said the Bruins rotated their lineup in the fourth quarter.

“It was awesome to get maybe some players that haven’t played as much,” Falitz said. “That group played the entire back half of the fourth quarter, almost the entire fourth quarter, and I don’t think they gave up a goal. That’s awesome. And now the more people you get in, obviously, we wanted to try and get some people rest, which we were able to do.”

UCLA will be back in action for the late game Saturday evening in the semifinals against USC.

Falitz said there isn’t much of a scout needed, given that UCLA has played it three prior times this season.

With the expectation that USC will win its quarterfinal, Falitz said there isn’t much of a scout needed, given that UCLA has played it three prior times this season.

“We know what’s coming,” Falitz said. “They’re a really good team, and it’s going to be a battle tomorrow night. But these are the moments that you play for. So really, it’s about embracing each moment as it comes, not getting too far ahead of ourselves, and finding joy and fun being together for another day, which is what they wanted to do.”

The rest of the tournament will consist of late game times, but Falitz said the Bruins prepared with runthroughs last weekend.

“It changes the loosen out times, things like that, when you eat,” Falitz said. “But again, this is a really mature group, and there’s been a lot of stuff this year, regardless of buses breaking down or whatever – we’ve had every situation. So really they don’t miss a beat.” 

On the other side of the bracket, No. 1 seed Stanford and No. 4 seed California each won their quarterfinal matches and will face off in the semifinal.

While the semifinals will each feature local rivalries, the NCAA championship game will be a Northern vs. Southern California showdown.