DAVIS, Calif. – UC Davis women's water polo hopes to continue its good form in Southern California when Big West action begins. The Aggies will take on No. 23 CSUN in the conference opener before wrapping up the weekend with a matchup against No. 10 UC Santa Barbara
 
Game 19: at CSUN
Where: Northridge, Calif. (Matador Pool)
When: March 10^th, 2023
Time: 12 p.m. PT
Live Stats
 
Game 20: at UC Santa Barbara
Where: Santa Barbara, Calif. (Campus Pool)
When: March 12^th, 2023
Time: 12 p.m. PT
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats
 
LAST TIME OUT
UC Davis enjoyed a week off following its spectacular showing at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational hosted by UC Irvine. After falling to No. 4 Cal in the tournament opener, the Aggies rattled off three straight victories against ranked opponents.
 
UC Davis picked up two wins on Feb. 25, defeating No. 16 UC San Diego 9-6 to avenge its loss to the Tritons earlier in the season before highlighting the weekend with a 12-10 victory over No. 9 Michigan.
 
On the last day of the invite, the Aggies picked up a comfortable victory over No. 23 Loyola Marymount to cap off an incredible weekend. UC Davis has now recorded six wins in its last seven games.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
UC Davis will face two familiar opponents on the weekend. The Aggies dominated the Matadors on Feb. 4 at the Triton Invite, winning a 15-6 decision in La Jolla, Calif. CSUN has found its rhythm, however, carrying a 15-5 record into Friday's contest. The Matadors have won eight of their last nine games and hope to start Big West play on a high note.
 
UC Santa Barbara has also enjoyed some early-season success, posting a 15-6 overall record. Despite dropping their first conference game, the Gauchos have been impressive, earning the No. 10 ranking in the most recent CWPA poll. Caitlyn Snyder leads the squad with a team-high 41 goals and 33 assists while Leigh Lyler, Juju Amaral, Cami Miras, and Annie Kuester have all registered 20+ goals this season.
 
CLAGUE EARNS WEEKLY HONOR
After leading UC Davis women's water polo to three impressive wins, center defender Ally Clague was named Big West Player of the Week.
Clague enjoyed a fantastic weekend in Irvine, scoring a team-high eight goals. She was also extremely effective on the defensive end, racking up seven steals and one field block. The Fresno native was instrumental in the Aggies' win over No. 9 Michigan, netting four goals, snatching three steals, drawing two exclusions, and dishing out one assist.
 
WELCOME COACH WALDTHALER
After serving on the UC Davis women's water polo coaching staff for 12 seasons, Kandace Waldthaler was selected as the Coach Jamey Wright and Hodgens Family Director of Women's Water Polo. She spent the first seven seasons as an assistant coach and the last five as associate head coach. She has been instrumental in cementing the inclusive and high-performance culture the program has enjoyed under Wright. Most recently, Waldthaler joined the national team staff as an assistant coach for the Senior National "B" Team. 
 
The Aggies have enjoyed eight winning seasons, 19 ACWPC All-America recognitions, and 41 All-Big West honors during Waldthaler's time at UC Davis. The team has seen multiple ACWPA All-Academic honorees in every year of her tenure, including eight or more five times (2012, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2021) with two team (2012, 2018) awards. 
 
NEXT UP
UC Davis returns to Schaal Aquatics Center to host Indiana on March 16. That match is slated for 6 p.m.