When I think of UCLA water polo, there is one word that comes to my mind – sisterhood.

Being a junior in high school, trying to decide where to spend your next four years is a nerve-racking and stressful time. As soon as I stepped foot on campus in Westwood for a visit and met the girls on the team, I knew there was something special at Spieker Aquatics Center. When meeting these girls for the first time, they immediately took me in as a recruit, as one of their own. That is something I will never forget.

At the conclusion of my visit, I knew I wanted to be a Bruin. When I committed a few days later, my phone was bombarded with texts and calls from the girls on the team, welcoming me into the Bruin family. Seniors who I would not even be playing with reached out, eager and excited for me to experience something so special.

This is the culture this program has created and will continue to have – a never-ending bond we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.

Coming in as freshmen, utility Anna Pearson, attacker Taylor Smith, utility Lily Gess, utility Genoa Rossi, goalkeeper Izzy Rosensitto and I were eager to learn the ropes of the program and what it means to be a Bruin. We quickly realized how much hard work goes into this program and took the learning curve day by day. In the weight room, we familiarized ourselves with the Echo Assault Bikes and the infamous six-minute bike rides. We would then go back to our dorm rooms at Hedrick Summit and sleep until it was time to head to the pool for our training.

Amid all the chaos of learning an entirely new system, we were inspired by the fifth-years on our team that year who motivated us to become the best versions of ourselves and led by the greatest example. Goalkeeper Georgia Phillips, attacker Val Ayala, center Ava Johnson and utility Katrina Drake were the best leaders in and out of the pool and were the glue of our team for the 2022-23 season. This year set the foundation for the next three years of hard work and gave me the confidence to step into a different role my sophomore year.

After a heartbreaking end to our season and coming up short the year prior, we were determined and eager to come back harder, smarter and more together than all our opponents in 2023-24.

We were fortunate enough to start that year in Hawaii on a training trip with all members of our team. One of the days on our trip, after a long practice, we went as a team to climb the Koko Head Crater Trail located in southeastern Oahu. This climb was grueling and exhausting, but amid the pain, our entire team and staff members completed the hike together, and the view from the top was amazing. In many ways, this hike reflected and emulated our entire season perfectly.

The 2024 Bruins remained undefeated our entire season, ultimately winning our conference and the national championship with a 7-4 win against California in its home pool. Jumping into the pool with my best friends after winning will be something I will never forget. Breaking a 15-year drought for our program and being able to represent our school and athletic community was truly the most special thing I have ever felt. In many ways, the grit this team showed throughout this year was the same grit we showed on that Koko Head Hike, and we did it together. The celebrations continued after winning, from being honored at UCLA sporting events, and even being invited alongside our men’s volleyball team to the White House, are moments I will cherish forever.

Following the conclusion of our historic sophomore year run, I was given the unfortunate news that my hip labrum was completely torn and that I would need surgery to be able to play my junior year. I was devastated but eager to begin the rehabilitation process so I could be ready to play by the time January came around. With the help of UCLA’s sports medicine staff and my teammates and coaches, I was able to make a full recovery and stepped into my most active role as a member on this team and played in every single game that season.

After winning the national championship the year prior, junior year certainly came with lots of pressure and expectations. After losing six core members of our team, we knew that we needed new leaders. Our three seniors, utility Nicole Struss, attacker Molly Renner and goalkeeper MJ Bailey, were able to fill those roles. They led us with strength, compassion and constant support. Overall, junior year can be characterized by the many ups and downs both in and out of the pool, with sisterhood acting as the glue that ultimately held us together through it all. Even though our national championship run ended in disappointment and tears, I felt so grateful to have gone through such a challenge with such an amazing group of women. If anything, it served as motivation for senior year, and all of us had a fire lit in us to get it done for those who couldn’t join us for another year.

When senior year came around, a few days before our season started, we were told that our head coach Adam Wright would be stepping down to focus on some health concerns. Jason Falitz and Matt Kubeck stepped into the roles of interim co-head coaches, and with the addition of assistant coach Ryann Neushul, we were excited to get to work. They gave us 110% every day, and we did the same for them in return. We were a determined group and pushed each other incredibly hard each day in practice.

When we arrived in La Jolla for our NCAA tournament, in our team room was a large balloon arch and the John Wooden quote, “Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.” This message and the decorations were organized and placed by UCLA women’s water polo alumni who have paved the way for this program, showing how sisterhood backs up this program. Although our season might not have gone the way we planned in the end, it is the memories and little moments throughout the year that I will carry with me and remember at the end of the day. This group showed courage and grit all throughout the season, and at the end of the day, that is all you can ask for.

It is hard to put into words how much this school, program and the friendships I’ve made have meant to me over the course of my four years here. Whether it was competing through two torn hip labrums, various coaching changes or jumping into freezing cold pools early in the morning, these girls and friendships throughout the years are what have remained steadfast in the chaos and were the reasons I was able to show up every day with a smile on my face. The memories and experiences that I will take away from this program are countless, and I am most proud of the sisterhood I have built and will continue to hold for the rest of my life.

Carly McMurray played for UCLA women’s water polo from 2023-2026.