Cal State Fullerton Women’s Water Polo Concludes Season at Big West Championship

Cal State Fullerton’s women’s water polo team faced a challenging end to their season on Friday, falling 16-6 to top-seeded Hawai’i in the opening round of the Big West Championship.

Season Overview

This matchup marked the third encounter between the Titans and the Rainbow Wahine during the season, with Hawai’i dominating the series by a substantial margin, outscoring CSUF 49-14 across all three games.

Coach’s Commentary

Head coach Kyle Witt emphasized the competitiveness of the Big West Conference, stating, “If we’re in the middle of the Big West, we’re ranked No. 10 in the country. Our conference is frickin’ tough.”

Game Highlights

In her final game as a Titan, senior Hannah Wilson led the scoring for CSUF with two goals. Other notable scorers included Destiny Hernandez, Taylor Mason, Emme Doube-MacLeod, and Tess Henke. With starting goalkeeper Annabelle Sherman unavailable, Sienna Bertsch began in goal for the first quarter, later replaced by Alexandra Ortiz, who recorded six saves throughout the match.

Match Progression

Hawai’i quickly established dominance, rushing to a 4-0 lead in the first quarter. Although the Titans’ defense strengthened significantly during the second quarter, they were unable to prevent Hawai’i from extending their lead. Henke scored CSUF’s first goal just before halftime, leaving the score at 5-1.

Wilson opened the third quarter with a goal, reducing the deficit to 5-2. However, Hawai’i responded swiftly, increasing their lead further. Doube-MacLeod managed to find the net during a power play, bringing the score to 8-3, but by the end of the third quarter, Hawai’i had pulled ahead to 11-3.

Key Players

The duo of Ema Vernoux and Jordan Wedderburn led Hawai’i’s offensive efforts, combining for five goals. Both have impressive credentials, having competed at the Olympic level, and they rank third and seventh, respectively, in the Big West for goals scored.

Conclusion of the Season

The Titans concluded the season with an overall record of 11-21, a remarkable feat considering most games were played away from home at the Fullerton College Pool due to ongoing repairs at the Titan Aquatics Center.

A promising future lies ahead, with freshmen including Bertsch, Jade Lonzo, Doube-MacLeod, Mia Hatch, Elise Bliss, and Ileina Hatori showing potential contributions to the team’s performance in the highly competitive Big West Conference.

Sports Editor Nicholas Wire contributed to this article.