Score: UC Davis 14, UC Santa Barbara 6
Location: Davis, Calif. (Schaal Aquatics Center)
Records: UC Davis 8-9 (1-0), UC Santa Barbara 1-12 (0-1)
DAVIS, Calif. — UC Davis women's water polo opened Big West conference play with a commanding 14-6 victory over UC Santa Barbara on Saturday afternoon at home. The Aggies' dominant performance was headlined by hat tricks from
Sadie Henry and
Ashley Wallin, alongside a career-high two goals from
Taylor Gair.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Gianna Nocetti secured the opening sprint to grant the Aggies the first possession of the match.
- Ashley Wallin found the back of the cage for the game's first goal following a well-placed assist from Nocetti.
- Sadie Henry extended the early lead with a quick strike after the Aggie defense forced back-to-back unsuccessful Gaucho attempts.
- Following a Santa Barbara timeout, Margo Tempel and Lillie Vehling each found the net to cap an uninterrupted 5-0 run to close the first quarter.
- Nocetti won the second-period sprint and immediately converted her first goal of the day to keep the momentum rolling.
- The Gauchos found the board for the first time with a strike from Eliza Harlow to make it 6-1.
- After a lengthy defensive stalemate, Henry broke through on a power play to reclaim a six-goal cushion.
- The Gauchos managed a late strike in the final seconds of the frame to send the teams into halftime with the Aggies leading 7-2.
- UC Santa Barbara opened the third period with a goal before Henry responded with her third of the game to secure the hat trick.
- Chelsea Johnson and Ally Smith both beat the defense to close the period and keep the Aggies ahead 10-3 entering the final frame.
- Nocetti won her third sprint of the day to start the fourth, sparking a four-goal Aggie surge to close out the match.
- Following a Gaucho power-play goal, Johnson and Wallin both found the back of the cage, with Wallin's strike completing her third hat trick of the season.
- Santa Barbara found the net twice more in the final minutes, but Taylor Gair finalized the victory with her second goal of the afternoon to set a new career high and solidify the 14-6 win.
UP NEXT: The Aggies continue Big West play on the road as they travel to take on Long Beach State on Friday, Feb. 27 at 7:00 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 No. 1 in Agriculture and Forestry as well as No. 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/.
