#4 Cal and #18 San Jose State played the first official match of the 2020 collegiate women’s water polo season on Saturday. The #4 Bears won 12-6 after coming back from a 4-1 first quarter deficit. Claire Sonne put in four goals to lead eight Cal scorers, while goalie Cassidy Ball made 12 saves and even scored a goal at the end of the first half in the victory. Lili Urvari and Olga Descalzi Portell put in two goals apiece for SJSU.
Ball was named MPSF Player of the Week for her efforts, while Shea Salvino was tabbed as the league’s newcomer of the week after posting a goal, a steal and an assist in her collegiate debut.
Opening Weekend
Twenty teams are in action this weekend as nearly one third of programs kick off their 2020 campaigns. Much of the action will be based in Santa Barbara, California, and Honolulu, Hawaii.
UC Santa Barbara is hosting the 2020 Winter Invite beginning on Friday, which will see 10 teams face off in 20 games over the three-day event at the Campus Pool and the UCSB Recreation Center pool. The field includes #25 Azusa Pacific, #4 Cal, #22 Cal State Northridge, Iona, #7 Michigan, Ottawa (Ariz.), #3 UCLA, #5 UC Irvine, #13 UC San Diego and the host #11 Gauchos.
#6 Hawaii also is hosting a tournament this weekend, welcoming #14 Fresno State, #12 Loyola Marymount and #23 Marist to Honolulu for a Saturday and Sunday round robin affair.
San Jose State welcomes Sonoma State and #2 Stanford on Saturday, while #10 UC Davis hosts Santa Clara and Fresno Pacific in a three-game affair on Sunday.
Eighteen of the 32 matches pit two ranked teams against each other, including three top 10 affairs.
- #5 UC Irvine vs. #4 Cal on Saturday
- #7 Michigan vs. #5 UC Irvine on Saturday
- #7 Michigan vs. #4 Cal on Sunday
Fifteen of the 27 teams ranked or receiving votes in the CWPA Preseason Poll are in action this weekend.
Week 1 Schedule
| Date | Matchup | Live Stats |
| Jan. 11 | #4 Cal def. #18 San Jose State 12-6 | Box Score |
| Jan. 17. | ||
| UC Santa Barbara Winter Invite (Santa Barbara, Calif.) | ||
| Noon | Ottawa (Ariz.) vs. Iona | |
| 1:15 p.m. | #22 Cal State Northridge vs. #25 Azusa Pacific | Live Stats |
| 4:15 p.m. | Ottawa (Ariz.) vs. #25 Azusa Pacific | Live Stats |
| 5:30 p.m. | #22 Cal State Northridge at #2 UCLA | Live Stats |
| 9 p.m. | #2 UCLA at #11 UC Santa Barbara | Live Stats |
| Jan. 18. | ||
| 1 p.m. | Sonoma State at #18 San Jose State | Live Stats |
| 2:30 p.m. | #2 Stanford at #18 San Jose State | Live Stats |
| 3 p.m. | San Diego State Alumnae Game | |
| 4 p.m. | #2 Stanford vs. Sonoma State (at San Jose State) | |
| TBA | Villanova Alumnae Game | |
| Hawaii Invite (Honolulu, Hawaii) | ||
| 3:30 p.m. | #12 Loyola Marymount at #6 Hawaii | Live Stats |
| 5 p.m. | #14 Fresno State vs. #23 Marist | Live Stats |
| 9:30 p.m. | #23 Marist at #12 Loyola Marymount | Live Stats |
| 11 p.m. | #14 Fresno State at #6 Hawaii | Live Stats |
| UC Santa Barbara Winter Invite (Santa Barbara, Calif.) | ||
| 11:30 a.m. | #22 Cal State Northridge at #7 Michigan | Live Stats |
| 12:45 p.m. | #2 UCLA vs. #13 UC San Diego | Live Stats |
| 1:30 p.m. | #5 UC Irvine vs. #4 Cal | Live Stats |
| 2 p.m. | Iona vs. #11 UC Santa Barbara | Live Stats |
| 3:15 p.m. | #22 Cal State Northridge vs. Ottawa (Ariz.) | Live Stats |
| 5 p.m. | #7 Michigan vs. #5 UC Irvine | Live Stats |
| 5 p.m. | Iona vs. #2 UCLA | Live Stats |
| 6:15 p.m. | #4 Cal at #11 UC Santa Barbara | Live Stats |
| 6:30 p.m. | Ottawa (Ariz.) vs. #13 UC San Diego | Live Stats |
| Jan. 19. | ||
| UC Davis Tournament (Davis, Calif.) | ||
| 2 p.m. | Fresno Pacific vs. Santa Clara | Live Stats |
| 5 p.m. | Santa Clara at #10 UC Davis | Live Stats |
| 8 p.m. | Fresno Pacific at #10 UC Davis | Live Stats |
| UC Santa Barbara Winter Invite (Santa Barbara, Calif.) | ||
| 11:30 a.m. | #7 Michigan vs. #4 Cal | Live Stats |
| 12:45 p.m. | Iona vs. #13 UC San Diego | Live Stats |
| 2 p.m. | Ottawa (Ariz.) vs. #2 UCLA | Live Stats |
| 3:15 p.m. | #7 Michigan at #11 UC Santa Barbara | Live Stats |
| 5 p.m. | #13 UC San Diego vs. #4 Cal | Live Stats |
| 6:15 p.m. | Ottawa (Ariz.) vs. #11 UC Santa Barbara | Live Stats |
| Hawaii Invite (Honolulu, Hawaii) | ||
| 2 p.m. | #12 Loyola Marymount vs. #14 Fresno State | Live Stats |
| 3:15 p.m. | #23 Marist at #6 Hawaii | Live Stats |
| Jan. 22 | ||
| 7 p.m. | Sonoma State at #9 Pacific |