Score (Game 1): UC Davis 22, Santa Clara 3
Score (Game 2): UC Davis 28, Fresno Pacific 1
Location: Santa Clara, Calif. (Sullivan Aquatic Center)
Records: UC Davis 2-0
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Gianna Nocetti, Chelsea Johnson and Liberty Massman set their new career highs as UC Davis women's water polo swept the 2026 season-opening day with wins over Santa Clara and Fresno Pacific.
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 1)
- UC Davis started the game with a 5-0 scoring run, with Chelsea Johnson leading the way with the first goal of the season.
- Santa Clara scored their first point with two minutes to spare in the first quarter, after which Ali Giusti and Margo Tempel closed out the quarter with two more goals for UC Davis, giving the Aggies a 7-1 lead after the first quarter.
- In the second and third quarter, the Aggies tacked nine more points on the board, where Bridget Miller scored back-to-back goals, and delivered her first hat trick of the season.
- Margo Tempel also secured a hat trick in the fourth quarter, with UC Davis earning another six points.
- Santa Clara scored two more goals in the final quarter, ending the game with a score of 22-3 in favor of UC Davis.
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 2)
- Gianna Nocetti opened the first quarter with three back-to-back goals, earning her first hat trick of the season as the Aggies scored seven points to open the game.
- Tackling on seven more points in the second quarter, Chelsea Johnson also secured a hat trick.
- In the third quarter, Johnson scored three consecutive goals to earn six points for the Aggies, setting a new career high.
- Liberty Massman then recorded her third goal to secure her first hat trick of the season, after which Ashley Wallin and Sarah Ellis-Keeler shot two more goals to close out the period, assisting in the Aggies 24-0 scoring run.
- Fresno Pacific got a point on the board in the final quarter, but not before Nocetti netted her sixth goal to set her own career high.
- Massman closed out the game with two additional goals, finishing with five points to set her new career high in the Aggies' 28-1 victory.
UP NEXT: The Aggies will return to action tomorrow, Sunday, Jan. 18, when the Aggies face Stanford at 1:00 p.m. PT.
ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS:
UC Davis, the No. 2 ranked public university by the Wall Street Journal, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked #1 in Agriculture and Forestry as well as #1 in Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27.
For more information, visit https://ucdavisaggies.com/.
