CLOVIS, Calif. -- The two-meter combo of junior Eric Martel and freshman Nir Gross combined for seven goals as No. 8-ranked and second-seeded UC Davis prevailed by a 19-6 final over Concordia in the quarterfinal round of the Western Water Polo Association championship tournament at Clovis West Olympic Swim Complex Friday afternoon.

The Aggies improve to 17-7 for the year. The Eagles slip to 5-18 overall.

Martel netted four goals for a season high and his best single-game output since his five-goal against Saint Francis in 2017.  Gross scored three goals for his fifth hat trick. Junior Holden Tamblyn, senior Marcus Anderson, senior Riley Venne, senior Colter Knight and sophomore Keenan Anderson each added two goals apiece. Senior R.J. Quigley had seven goalie saves in his first half of work, then sophomore Jonah Addington relieved him for four saves and two steals in a shutout second half.

Although the two teams matched up at 2-2 through six minutes of play, the Aggies held a 5-2 lead after the first quarter and a 10-6 edge at halftime before scoring nine unanswered after the break. Senior utility and two-time WWPA Player of the Year Ido Goldschmidt scored his lone goal of the game on a five-meter penalty shot to begin play, then Tamblyn made it 2-0 on a Quigley outlet on the next possession.

CUI answered with goals by Nick Walker and Mitchell Iunker to equalize at 2-2 with 1:38 left in the first, but Goldschmidt then assisted on three straight goals: two by Martel and one by Keenan Anderson to set the Aggie lead to 5-2. Tamblyn made it four straight with his five-meter penalty goal to open the second. The two teams traded goals for the next five minutes, but Gross' goal with 31 ticks left before halftime began what ultimately grew into an 11-0 UC Davis run to finish the contest.

The Aggies advance to the WWPA semifinal round for the 16th consecutive year, and will face the winner of Friday's Loyola Marymount-Santa Clara matchup at 1:45 p.m. on Saturday. UC Davis seeks its third straight WWPA championship, the winner of which earns the automatic qualifier to the NCAA postseason.

GOALS - CUI: Messan Moore 2, Nick Walker 1, Mitchell Iunker 1, Austin Barton 1, Dan Maleski 1. UC DAVIS: Eric Martel 4, Nir Gross 3, Marcus Anderson 2, Holden Tamblyn 2, Riley Venne 2, Colter Knight 2, Keenan Anderson 2, Ido Goldschmidt 1, Patrick Burke 1. 

GOALIE SAVES - CUI: Alfredo De La Mora 8 (32:00). UC DAVIS: R.J. Quigley 7 (16:00), Jonah Addington 4 (16:00).

ABOUT UC DAVIS: Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO: Established in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.