Score: UC Davis 12, Cal 13
Location: Davis, Calif. (Schaal Aquatics Center)
Records: UC Davis 5-7, Cal 7-0
DAVIS, Calif. — No. 16 UC Davis women's water polo capped off its first home weekend of the season, falling just short to No. 4 California, 13-12. The Aggies' relentless effort was highlighted by a career-high five goals from
Ashley Wallin, keeping UC Davis within striking distance of the Golden Bears up until the final horn.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Ashley Wallin opened the scoring for the Aggies on a power play opportunity, followed shortly by a goal from Gianna Nocetti to secure an early 2-0 lead.
- California responded with six uninterrupted goals to take back the lead and end the first period ahead 6-2.
- In the second quarter, Lillie Vehling found the back of the net for the Aggies, sandwiched between a pair of Cal scores, before converting a penalty shot for her second goal of the day.
- The Golden Bears added one more late goal to head into halftime with a 9-4 advantage over the Aggies.
- Cal's Abbi Magee opened the third with a goal, but UC Davis answered with a 3-0 run behind shots from Nocetti, Liberty Massman, and HanaLora Abel to tighten the score.
- The Golden Bears responded with two goals of their own to close the third quarter leading 11-7.
- The Aggies elevated their momentum in the final frame as Chelsea Johnson secured the first goal of the quarter before Wallin took over, netting two back-to-back goals to secure a hat trick with just under five minutes remaining.
- After a response from Cal's Julianna Snyder, Wallin maintained her momentum by scoring two more goals in the fourth to pull the Aggies within one at 13-12 with three minutes to spare.
- UC Davis regained possession for a final game-tying attempt, but a Cal steal allowed the Golden Bears to hold the ball for the final seven seconds and escape with the victory.
UP NEXT: The Aggies head to Ann Arbor, Michigan, next weekend to compete in the Midwest Invite. UC Davis begins play on Saturday, Feb. 14, against McKendree at 7:15 a.m. PT, followed by a matchup with host Michigan at 10:15 a.m. PT. The weekend concludes on Sunday, Feb. 15, as the Aggies take on Indiana at 6:15 a.m. PT and Mercyhurst at 9:30 a.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/.
