Score: UC Davis 23, UC Merced 1
Location: Merced, Calif. (UC Merced Aquatics Center)
Records: UC Davis 10-12 (2-2), UC Merced 2-12
MERCED, Calif. — UC Davis women's water polo delivered a dominant performance on the road Saturday afternoon, defeating UC Merced 23-1. The Aggies' offensive explosion was led by hat tricks from
Alison Giusti and
Sofia Bozzo, while
Sarah Ellis-Keeler and
Taylor Gair each tallied career-high performances to help the defense hold the Bobcats to just a single goal over four periods of play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Gianna Nocetti won the opening sprint to spark an immediate Aggie attack, leading to an Liberty Massman goal off an Ashley Wallin assist just 11 seconds into the match.
- The Aggies orchestrated a relentless 8-0 run to open the first period, highlighted by goals from Chelsea Johnson, Sadie Henry, Madison Sparre, and a penalty conversion from Sofia Bozzo.
- Taylor Gair secured the second-period sprint, and Nocetti capitalized on an Addison Engelbert assist to extend the lead to 9-0.
- UC Merced found their lone goal of the match midway through the second period, as Kiryn Wicker converted a penalty shot to make it 9-1.
- Abby Humphrey responded shortly after with a penalty goal of her own to send UC Davis into halftime with a 10-1 cushion.
- Sofia Bozzo won the third-period sprint, fueling a massive eight-goal surge in the frame. Ally Smith, Caroline Oates, and Addison Engelbert all found the back of the net to keep the momentum squarely with the Aggies.
- Ali Giusti and Sarah Ellis-Keeler took over the scoring duties late in the third, with Ellis-Keeler finishing a pass from goalkeeper Lucy Holland to make it 17-1.
- Abby Humphrey won the final sprint of the day to start the fourth quarter, leading to back-to-back power-play strikes from Lillie Vehling.
- Ellis-Keeler and Giusti both completed their hat tricks in the final minutes, while Gair added a penalty goal to finalize the 23-1 victory.
- The Aggie defense was anchored by a multi-keeper effort; Eva Stein recorded seven saves in the first half, while Harper Gilbert and Lucy Holland combined for three saves to close out the win.
UP NEXT: The Aggies head south for a three-game road stretch beginning on Friday, Mar. 27, when they face UC San Diego in Big West play at 6:00 p.m. PT. UC Davis will then take on Brown also in La Jolla on Saturday, Mar. 28 at 11:00 a.m. PT, before closing the weekend traveling to Cal State Fullerton in another conference matchup on Sunday, Mar. 29 at 12:00 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/.
