The Bruins won back-to-back men's water polo titles for the third time, finishing a 19-7 season with an easy 11-2 victory over UC San Diego in the NCAA championship game at Pepperdine University. All five UCLA seniors scored goals in the title-match rout, including Brian Brown, who scored three goals, and Sean Kern, who had two and was also named the tournament MVP. Kern capped his Bruin career by earning player of the year honors for the second consecutive year as well. Brown, Kern and goalie Brandon Brooks were first-team All-America selections.
UCLA swept Ohio State in three games (15-8, 15-10, 17-15) to win the men's volleyball title at Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was the 18th NCAA title for the Bruins under the guidance of Al Scates, the most for any coach in a single sport (UCLA also won a pair of USVBA titles under Scates). The Bruins, who finished the season 29-5, ousted Pepperdine in the MPSF finals to earn the top seed at the NCAAs. They then swept Penn State to reach the national-title match. Setter Brandon Taliaferro earned player of the year honors from Volleyball Magazine, and was named the most outstanding player on the NCAA All-Tournament team. Seth Burnham and Evan Thatcher also made the All-Tournament squad.
The Bruins were the nation's most dominant team in 2000, emerging as Pac-10, NCAA regional and NCAA national champions. UCLA hit 48 of 48 routines to win the NCAA competition in Boise, Idaho. Lena Degteva won an individual title on the balance beam and Mohini Bhardwaj took first place on the bars. Five Bruins earned a school-record 18 All-America honors. Valorie Kondos was the co-coach of the year.
2000 WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD (INDOOR)
Seilala Sua won the shot put and finished second in the 20-pound weight throw to lead UCLA to its first women's indoor track and field title in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Bruins took the lead on the meet's first day behind victories from Tracy O'Hara in the pole vault and Keyon Soley in the long jump. The next day, UCLA clinched the title with a 1-3-6 finish in the shot put. Sua won with a heave of 56-8. Christina Tolson finished third and Chaniqua Ross placed sixth. Sua was the Pac-10 women's track and field athlete of the year. Jeanette Bolden won her fourth consecutive Pac-10 coach of the year award.
2001 WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD (INDOOR)
UCLA demolished the field as it won its second consecutive NCAA Indoor Track and Field title in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the school's 84th team title, ranking it first in total NCAA team championships. The Bruins finished with 53.50 points, followed by South Carolina (40) and a tie between Clemson and Arizona for third place with 30 points each. Christina Tolson placed second in the 20-lb. weight throw with a mark of 68' 9 3/4" (20.97m). Cari Soong finished 10th in the weight throw with a mark of 62' 8 3/4" (19.12m). In the triple jump, Deana Simmons finished second with a jump of 44' 2 1/2" (13.47m). Junior Tracy O'Hara finished second in the pole vault, clearing a height of 13' 9 1/4" (4.20m). In the 60m dash, Shakedia Jones finished fifth in a time of 7.40.
In 2001, the Bruins captured the inaugural NCAA Women's Water Polo title, their second consecutive national title and fifth championship in six years. In the title game, UCLA defeated Stanford 5-4. The win came off of a Coralie Simmons goal with 1:28 remaining in the games. Goals were scored by Simmons (2), Robin Beuregard, Kelly Heuchan, and Ashley Stachowski. Jaime Hipp recorded six saves. For her efforts, Simmons received MVP honors and was joined on the All-Tournament team by Beuregard, Heuchan, Hipp, Kristin Guerin, Jenny Lamb and Elaine Zivich
UCLA continued its winning ways in 2001, scoring an amazing 20 perfect 10s during the season and capturing the NCAA title for the second consecutive year and claiming three individual nationals champions - UCLA's first all-around champion Onnie Willis, Yvonne Tousek on bars and Bhardwaj on floor. Bhardwaj went on to win the Honda Award as the nation's top gymnast, and Kondos earned her fourth national coach of the year title.
DALLAS (AP) - UCLA scored with two minutes left Sunday and again beat Stanford 1-0, this time to win the men's NCAA soccer championship.
Defenseman Aaron Lopez knocked in a free kick from midfielder Ryan Futagaki with one touch into the right corner of the goal in the 89th minute of the NCAA College Cup.
This was the third meeting between UCLA (18-3-3) and Stanford (18-5-2) this season. The Bruins won all three meetings by 1-0 scores.
Most of Sunday's game was played without one team clearly dominating the other.
The championship game closely mirrored their two regular-season matchups between the Bruins and Stanford, when the games weren't decided until the final moments.
In the first game, UCLA won on Jimmy Frazelle's goal in overtime. In the second game, UCLA won on Cliff McKinley's goal in the 77th minute.
Both teams played strong defense Sunday, denying several scoring chances for both the Bruins and the Cardinals.
Futagaki rocketed off a strong shot from 25 yards out in the 31st minute that ricocheted off the left goalpost.
Stanford also had several chances, most notably Taylor Graham's header in the sixth minute of the game.
UCLA coach Tom Fitzgerald knew his team would struggle against the bigger Stanford players.
"Stanford is very dangerous on set pieces and crossing balls. It will be difficult to match up with them due to size, but our athleticism will make up for that," he said Saturday.
Graham almost headed in the corner kick from midfielder Johanes Maliza. At 6-foot-4, Graham had a height advantage over shorter Bruin defenders. Graham's header was knocked down and kicked away by Frazelle, who was guarding the right post.
La Jolla, CA - The UCLA women's water polo team defeated Stanford University 4-3 this afternoon to win its second NCAA championship and sixth national title. The Bruins entered the second half trailing 0-2, but stormed back with four straight goals to take home the title with a 4-3 victory. The Bruins finish the season 23-4 overall.
A 6 on 5 goal by Stanford accounted for all of the scoring in the first period, as the Bruins were held scoreless and trailed 0-1 at the end of one. Though senior goalie Jaime Hipp recorded three saves in the second period, another Stanford goal put the Bruins down 0-2. For the second period in a row UCLA was again unable to score and trailed 0-2 at half. Freshman Kelly Rulon got the Bruins within one, with her first goal of the game early in the third period. A 6 on 5 goal from senior Jessica Lopez knotted it at 2-2 with just under a minute remaining in the third period. After three periods of play the scored remained tied at 2-2.
A 6 on 5 goal from Lauren Heineck put UCLA up 3-2 in the fourth. Senior Robin Beauregard scored to put UCLA up 4-2 with 2:50 left in the final period. Stanford was able to convert on a UCLA turnover to get within one at 4-3. UCLA then stopped a 6 on 5 opportunity in the final minute of the period and was able to hold Stanford scoreless on its final possession to win its second NCAA crown in the three-year history of the championship and its sixth national title.
Six Bruins were named to the All-Tournament Team. Senior Jaime Hipp, freshman Kelly Rulon and senior Maureen Flanagan were named to the Second Team. Junior Natalie Golda and senior Jessica Lopez were named to the first team, while senior Robin Beauregard was named the NCAA tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
UCLA has now won three NCAA championships this year -- men's soccer, women's gymnastics and women's water polo -- and a national-high 89 NCAA titles in its history.
The top-ranked UCLA gymnastics team won its fourth NCAA Championship Friday night at the University of Nebraska's Bob Devaney Center. UCLA totaled a 197.825 to finish .55 ahead of second-place Alabama, which scored 197.275. Georgia was third with a 197.15, followed by Nebraska with a 197.125, Michigan with a 196.05 and Utah with a 195.3.
The title is UCLA's fourth overall and third in the last four years. The Bruins' previous wins came in 1997, 2000 and 2001. It is UCLA's 88th overall NCAA title, a national-best.
UCLA kicked things off on vault with five straight dynamic vaults to close the rotation. Jeanette Antolin hit a clean 9.825 and was followed by Kristin Parker, who stuck her handspring front pike half for a 9.85. Kate Richardson scored a 9.9 with a Yurchenko layout full with good height and distance. Onnie Willis landed her Yurchenko layout full with such power that she bounced up but never left her toes and added a 9.875. Jamie Dantzscher ended the set with another Yurchenko full with good height and distance and scored a 9.9 to give the Bruins a team score of 49.35, good for first place after one rotation. Georgia was close behind in second with a 49.275 on floor. Michigan added a 49.075 on beam, and Utah struggled on bars and scored a 48.675.
Host school Nebraska and defending champion Alabama started their first events while UCLA went to a bye in rotation two. Alabama took a slight lead over the Bruins with a 49.375 on floor, thanks in part to Ashley Miles' 9.95. The Huskers, though, had to count a fall on the uneven bars and totaled a 48.8. Utah also had to count a fall on beam and scored just 48.35 on beam. Georgia moved to vault and scored 49.225 to take a two-event lead over Utah, 98.5-97.025.
In rotation three, UCLA moved to the uneven bars. Senior Doni Thompson led off with a 9.825, followed by Willis with a 9.85. Antolin (9.925), Yvonne Tousek (9.9) and Dantzscher (9.95) closed the set with three 9.9+ scores to give the Bruins a 49.45 and a three-event lead with 98.8 points. Alabama, which scored 49.225 on vault, was close behind with 98.6 points, and Georgia was a just behind the Crimson Tide with 98.5 points, followed by Michigan with 98.3 points and Nebraska with 98.2.
UCLA moved to the balance beam for rotation four with a .2 lead over Alabama. In the leadoff position, Willis was not only steady but spectacular, scoring a 9.925. Dantzscher was nearly flawless as well, scoring a 9.9. Malia Jones and Antolin hit for scores of 9.825 and 9.85, respectively. Richardson nailed her routine and earned a 9.95, and Tousek closed with a strong 9.9, giving UCLA a 49.525, the highest score of the night on beam, and a three-event score of 148.325, .475 ahead of second-place Georgia's 147.85.
"It wasn't surprising to me because our falls and mistakes weren't because we were holding back," said UCLA head coach Valorie Kondos Field. "On the beam, if you doubt yourself, you are off, but they had such integrity and confidence."
Alabama emerged from rotation five as the Bruins' closest competitor, scoring 49.425 on bars for a three-event total of 148.025, just three-tenths behind UCLA. Georgia ended the meet with a 49.3 on beam and a final total of 197.15, meaning the Bruins needed just 48.85 on floor to overtake the Gym Dogs.
Antolin started the floor set with a stunning routine that scored a 9.85. Parker hit for a 9.875, and Jones hit one of her best routines of the year for a 9.9. A Richardson fall on her final pass put some pressure on the final two competitors, but Willis and Dantzscher responded like champions. Willis danced and tumbled to a 9.9, and Dantzscher clinched the victory by scoring a near-perfect 9.975. The Bruins' final floor score of 49.5 easily beat Alabama's 49.25 on beam.
"I had a nice long talk with myself this morning, and I just had such confidence in these people, not just as athletes, but also in their integrity as people," said Kondos Field. "All I asked was that we did the best job we could, and that's what we did. We had some falls out there, but the team never lost its focus."
Seniors Jones, Parker, Carly Raab, Thompson and Willis - the "Fab Five" - end their careers with three NCAA team Championships.
Oklahoma City, OK - Toria Auelua's ninth-inning RBI single and Keira Goerl's second no-hitter of the season paired to power UCLA to its ninth NCAA Softball Championship on Monday afternoon at Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium, as the Bruins defeated California 1-0 in the National Championship Game.
UCLA got its first hit of the game when Caitlin Benyi stepped to the plate with one out in the top of the first inning. The Bruins were unable to push a run across, and the scoreless game continued into the bottom of the first inning.
Keira Goerl issued two walks in the bottom of the first inning, as Courtney Scott drew a two-out walk and the Bruins issued an intentional walk to Veronica Nelson. It would be the only time in the game that the Golden Bears would have more than one runner on base in an inning.
UCLA opened the third inning with a two-out triple by Natasha Watley, followed by a walk issued to Benyi, but the Bruins were unable to capitalize.
Meanwhile, Goerl was retiring eight straight batters until she came back around to Nelson, who would be intentionally walked three times in the game. Nelson was issued her second intentional walk of the game in the fourth inning and was replaced by pinch-runner LeAnna Hoglen. Holgen did not advance, as Haley Woods struck out and Kaleo Eldredge grounded out to end the inning.
UCLA's next base runner came in the sixth inning when Cal intentionally walked Tairia Mims with two outs and nobody on. UCLA had another hit in the top of the seventh as Toria Auelua singled to right field with two outs. She was replaced by pinch-runner Amanda Simpson, but Simpson was unable to advance as Monique Mejia grounded out to end the inning.
The bottom of the seventh inning started with UCLA issuing the third intentional walk of the game to Veronica Nelson. Nelson was replaced by pinch-runner Linzi Westcott, ending Nelson's participation in the game.
Westcott advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Haley Woods. UCLA freshman catcher Emily Zaplatosch nearly caught the bunt on the fly, but instead was able to field the ball and make the throw to first base from her knees for the first out of the inning. Goerl took over from there, striking out Eldredge and getting Chelsea Spencer to ground out to end the inning.
In the top of the eighth, Natasha Watley posted a one-out single, and was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Caitlin Benyi. After an intentional walk to Mims, Claire Sua grounded out to end the inning and the Bruin threat.
With two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Vicky Galindo reached on a two-base error by Keira Goerl, but was unable to advance as Lindsay James grounded out to Goerl to end the inning and the California threat.
UCLA started with the five spot in the lineup in the bottom of the ninth inning. Junior centerfielder Stephanie Ramos led off with a double to left center that hit the outfield wall. She advanced to third on a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Zaplatosch, and came home on a slow-moving single through the left side of the infield by Toria Auelua. That was all the offense the Bruins would need to bring home their 10th National Championship.
In the bottom of the ninth, Goerl retired Courtney Scott on a ground-out to Tairia Mims a third base. Nelson would have been the second batter of the inning, but was unable to hit because she had already been replaced in the lineup twice. That brought Mikella Pedretti to the plate, and she grounded out to Natasha Watley for the second out of the inning. Haley Woods then popped out on a ball caught by Stephanie Ramos as she stood on the logo in shallow center field, sealing the title for the Bruins.
This championship is the ninth NCAA title for UCLA's softball program and its 10th National Championship, including a 1978 AIAW title.
Three Bruins were named to the All-Tournament team, including third baseman Tairia Mims, senior shortstop Natasha Watley and Most Outstanding Player Keira Goerl. Goerl pitched all 47 innings for UCLA in Oklahoma City this year, striking out 44 and allowing just four earned runs, and only one in UCLA's five elimination games. Goerl had a 0.60 ERA for the Women's College World Series, and set a new UCLA career victories record.
The Drive For Five ended in the Pauley Pavilion garage, as the UCLA women's gymnastics team stuck to its year long motto and took home the school's fifth gymnastics championship and 91st NCAA title overall. The Bruins scored a 198.125, a new NCAA Championship meet record. Georgia placed second with a 197.2, and Alabama and Stanford placed third with a 197.125.
The second-ranked UCLA women's golf team won the 2004 NCAA Women's Golf Championships on May 22nd in the rain delayed final round in Opelika, AL at the Auburn National Golf Course. The Bruins played the final round in two-over par 290 and finished with a 72-hole score of 1,148, four-under par. UCLA defeated second-place Oklahoma State by three shots and top-ranked Duke by 11 strokes. Cal finished fourth at 20-over par 1,172, followed by Vanderbilt at 1,180, 28-over par. Overall, the Bruins played the final nine holes in five-under par, while Oklahoma State, which had to make up six shots since the end of play on Friday, played the back nine in three-under par. Duke, which had won 10 tournaments during the season by an average of 22 shots, played the final nine holes in two-over par. Individually, the Bruins received clutch performances from All-Americans Mayorkas and Susie Mathews. Mayorkas played the back nine on Saturday in three-under par 33 for a final round score of 70. Mathews played the inward nine in two-under par 34 for an even par round of 72.
UCLA (47-9) successfully defended its NCAA Championship on Monday night in Oklahoma City in the first-ever title game played in prime time. UCLA trailed 1-0 for five innings before a solo home run by Claire Sua and a two-RBI single by freshman pinch hitter Kristen Dedmon provided all the runs that senior pitcher Keira Goerl needed as she became just the second pitcher in NCAA Division I history to win multiple title games.
California opened the scoring in the top of the first inning as Lindsay James drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a single by Haley Woods. After Kaleo Eldredge struck out for the second out of the inning, Jessica Pamanian hit a ground ball down the third base line that hit the bag and went into left field, allowing James to score the first run of the game to give California the 1-0 lead.
Meanwhile, California's Kelly Anderson was throwing a perfect game in the circle, retiring the first 12 UCLA batters that she faced in the game. Through the first three innings, Anderson had recorded four strikeouts as she retired each batter in the UCLA lineup at least once.
However, the Bruins led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a bang. Senior 1B Claire Sua tattooed the first pitch of the inning well over the left field fence to tie the game at 1-1. Anderson then proceeded to hit Stephanie Ramos with a 2-1 pitch and issued a full-count walk to Jodie Legaspi to give the Bruins two runners on with no outs. Ramos was replaced by pinch runner Amanda Simpson, while Legaspi was replaced by Tara Henry to run the bases. The pair advanced 60 feet apiece on a sacrifice bunt by Emily Zaplatosch to record the first out of the inning before designated player Michelle Turner struck out for the second out.
UCLA trailed 1-0 for five innings before a solo home run by Claire Sua.
With the ninth hitter in the lineup, left fielder Julie Hoshizaki, coming to the plate, head coach Sue Enquist opted for a pinch-hitter, freshman Kristen Dedmon delivered by hitting a 1-1 pitch up the middle, easily scoring Simpson and creating a play at the plate with Henry.
Henry slid around Cal catcher Haley Woods, barely touching the back corner of home plate. However, plate umpire Michael Mazur called obstruction on Woods on the play, which automatically awards the base to the runner and in this instance scored UCLA's third run of the game.
That was all the offense that Keira Goerl would need, as she was able to record the last six defensive outs of the game to become just the second player in NCAA Division I Softball Championship history to win more than one title game. She joins Bruin great Debbie Doom (1982, '84, '85) and Arizona's Susie Parra (1993, '94) as the only pitchers in Championship history to be the winning pitcher in multiple championship games. Goerl recorded four strikeouts, walked three and allowed just one run in Monday's title game.
This is UCLA's 93rd NCAA Championship in school history, and is the third NCAA title won by a Bruin team this year, as Women's Gymnastics won in Pauley Pavilion last April and Women's Golf won an NCAA title just over a week ago.
In the final day of the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, held at Texas' Mike A. Myers Stadium before 14,000, the UCLA women, under 11th year head coach Jeanette Bolden, won the team title, edging defending champion LSU 69-68. For Bolden, it marked her first NCAA Outdoor crown, adding to her two NCAA Indoor titles that she won in 2001 and 2000. It's UCLA's fifth overall NCAA Outdoor Championship (NCAA-1983-82/AIAW 1977-75).
The Bruins capped off one of the most remarkable seasons in UCLA water polo history on Sunday by capturing the program's eighth national title in what has already been referred to as one of the most thrilling title games in the history of NCAA water polo. The national champion Bruins finished the 2004 campaign with a remarkable 25-3 record, good for an .893 winning percentage, the best since 1972. UCLA also won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular season title by completing just its third perfect (8-0) conference schedule. UCLA sat atop the national rankings with the number one spot for eight consecutive weeks, beginning on October 6. The 2004 Bruins also did something no other water polo team has done since 1990; they pieced together an 18-match winning streak. Beginning on September 25 with a 6-4 victory over UC Irvine, the then-third-ranked Bruins went on to win the NorCal Tournament the following weekend and would not lose again until the finals of the MPSF tournament on November 28. UCLA definitively demonstrated their place atop the rankings as throughout the course of the season the Bruins defeated the nation's top four teams, California, USC and Stanford, a total of six times in nine matches, including victories at each of those schools. The Bruins will say good-bye to six seniors this year, all of whom started on the 2004 national championship squad. The class, which makes up Krikorian's first recruiting class while alone at the helm of the program, includes goalkeeper Joseph Axelrad, Peter Belden, Albert Garcia, Josh Hewko, Brett Ormsby and Ted Peck.
The UCLA Bruin women's water polo team concluded its remarkable season by winning the 2005 NCAA Championship. The Bruins beat third-seeded Stanford, 3-2 in the final game of the tournament at the Canham Natatorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This is UCLA's 96th NCAA Championship. UCLA (33-0) finished the year with the longest single-season winning streak in NCAA history of 33 games. They are also only the second team to go undefeated, after the USC Trojans went 29-0 in 2004. In the fourth quarter, Brittany Rowe scored again for UCLA, her second goal of the game, to put the Bruins ahead 3-1. Stanford would not give up, and Katie Hansen scored for Stanford with 4:12 left in the game. UCLA's tough defense was the key to the Bruin victory. Rulon and Munro had steals that prevented Stanford from getting many scoring opportunities. With 36 seconds left, Molly Cahill received her third ejection, giving Stanford a 6-5 situation in the last possession of the game. Kristina Kunkel stole the ball with 17 seconds and UCLA held on to win 3-2.
For the first time since 1984 the UCLA men's tennis team captured the NCAA tennis title, as the seventh-seeded Bruins posted a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over top-seeded and undefeated Baylor in the NCAA Final on May 24. With the win, UCLA (27-3) snapped Baylor's 57-match winning streak, the second longest in NCAA history. With the match tied a 3-3, UCLA's No. 3 singles player Kris Kwinta clinched the win for the Bruins, registering a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Baylor's Lars Poerschke. Kwinta served out the match leading 5-4 in the third set. When Poerschke's forehand sailed long on match point, Kwinta threw his racquet over the fence before being mobbed by teammates. UCLA has now snapped the longest and second longest winning streaks in NCAA history. In 2004, the Bruins ended Illinois' run of 64-straight victories with a 4-2 win in the NCAA Semifinals.
UCLA completed a remarkable run for the NCAA title by winning its final 14 matches after starting the season 12-12. On March 17, the Bruins rallied from a 0-2 deficit to beat USC at home 3-2 and catapult their stretch run to the national championship. The Bruins won their last seven conference matches to secure a berth in the MPSF playoffs where they defeated three higher ranked teams to earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Championship. At the NCAAs, the Bruins swept Indiana-Purdue, Fort Wayne and host Penn State to capture their 19th crown in men's volleyball and the school's 98th overall NCAA team title. Junior Steve Klosterman earned the tournament's Most Outstanding Player honors and seniors Damien Scott and Dennis Gonzalez were named to the All-Tournament team. The Bruins finished with a record of 26-12 in winning their 19th NCAA team championship, the most of any school in the sport of volleyball.
The 2006 women's water polo team surprised the water polo world by winning its second straight NCAA title, defeating USC, 9-8 in stunning fashion in the championship game of the NCAA women's water polo tournament in Davis, CA. UCLA finished 29-4 and recorded the school's 99th NCAA championship. The Bruins advanced to the title game by defeating Hartwick and Stanford in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. With about 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the title match, USC tied the game at 8-8. Following a Bruin timeout, Courtney Mathewson scored the game-winning goal, slipping the ball barely past the USC goalkeeper with a seven-meter shot with one second on the clock. USC had one last shot with a second left, but the ball bounced off the crossbar. Kelly Rulon, the NCAA tournament MVP and first-team All-MPSF member, scored four goals in the game and led the Bruins with 70 goals on the season. Emily Feher, Thalia Munro, and Kacy Kunkel were also named to the NCAA All-Tournament team. UCLA's NCAA title was its fourth in the six-year history of the championship.
For the third consecutive year, the UCLA women's water polo team hoisted the NCAA Championship trophy after defeating Stanford, 5-4, on May 13, 2007. Junior Courtney Mathewson led the Bruins' attack with three goals, and junior Jillian Kraus scored twice to give UCLA the school's unprecedented 100th NCAA team championship and fifth in women's water polo. In the championship game, UCLA led 2-0 after one quarter and owned a 3-1 lead at halftime. The Bruins used a third-quarter goal by Mathewson to take a 4-1 lead into the final quarter. Stanford scored two goals early in the fourth quarter, cutting the Bruins' advantage to 4-3. Mathewson's third goal of the contest handed UCLA a 5-3 cushion, and the Bruins held on to win 5-4. Senior goalkeeper Emily Feher capped a remarkable career at UCLA by recording nine saves in the championship victory. She finished her four-year career having registered 713 saves, the second highest career total in school history. Senior Kelly Rulon was selected the Tournament MVP after capturing her fourth NCAA team title. Rulon, a four-time All-American, established UCLA's all-time goals record with 237 in her career. Joining Rulon on the eight-player NCAA All-Tournament first team were Feher, Mathewson, Kraus and Kacy Kunkel.The Bruins finished the regular season with a 28-2 overall mark and improved to 90-6 from 2005 through 2007.
The 2008 UCLA women’s water polo team captured its fourth consecutive NCAA title, defeating crosstown rival USC, 6-3, in the championship match at Stanford’s Avery Aquatic Center on Sunday, May 11. The Bruins’ win capped a remarkable 33-0 season, a year in which UCLA was ranked as the No. 1 team in the national poll from start to finish. UCLA finished with an undefeated record and NCAA championship for the second time in four years – the Bruins’ 2005 squad went 33-0 en route to defeating Stanford for the national title. In the 2008 championship match, junior Tanya Gandy paced the Bruins with two goals, as seniors Courtney Mathewson and Gabrielle Domanic, junior Anne Belden and freshman Priscilla Orozco each scored one goal. The Bruins raced to a 3-1 first-quarter lead and registered a 5-1 halftime advantage. USC closed the gap to 5-2 by the end of the third quarter, and each team traded a goal in the final quarter. Gandy earned NCAA Tournament Most Valuable Player honors, having scored three goals in UCLA’s 11-4 win over UC Davis in the semifinal contest before netting two goals in the championship match. The 6-3 victory over USC marked the final game in a Bruins’ uniform for UCLA’s five seniors – Kamaile Crowell, Gabrielle Domanic, Jillian Kraus, Courtney Mathewson and Brittany Rowe – all of whom helped lead the women’s water polo program to NCAA titles in each of their four seasons at UCLA.