SAN DIEGO – The No. 21-ranked San Diego State water polo team competed in its third early season tournament when it competes in the 2023 Barbara Kalbus Invitational in Irvine, Calif., this weekend.
The Aztecs first game is Friday, February 24 against No. 3 UCLA at 12:30 p.m. PT at Anteater Aquatics Center on the campus of UC Irvine, the tournament host. The outcome of that game will determine against whom SDSU will play in its first of two games on Saturday.
Regardless of the outcome of the SDSU/UCLA game, San Diego State will play at 11:45 a.m. PT. If San Diego State is victorious against the Bruins on Friday, it will play the winner of a game between No. 6 UC Irvine and No. 15 UC Santa Barbara at Anteater Aquatics Center. If UCLA comes out the winner, the Aztecs will play the loser of the UC Irvine/UC Santa Barbara game at Corona del Mar High School.
Based on the results of Saturday's first game, SDSU will play its second game at either 4 p.m. PT or 5:15 p.m. PT at either Anteater Aquatics Center or Corona del Mar High School.
San Diego State will play its final contest of the weekend on Sunday, with time and opponent to be determined by Saturday's outcomes.
San Diego State trails in the all-time series with UCLA 42-4. The last time the teams played was at the 2023 UCSB Winter Invite and the No. 3-ranked Bruins beat SDSU 21-5. The game was each team's season opener. The last time the Aztecs defeated UCLA was in a 7-6 overtime win in Ann Arbor, Mich., on January 23, 2010. The Bruins have won each of the last 12 encounters.
SDSU holds a 25-19 advantage in its series with UC Irvine including a 9-10 record at the Anteaters' home pool. San Diego State hasn't defeated UCI since a 6-5 decision on Feb. 24, 2013, a span of 13 games. The last matchup came last season and resulted in a 14-10 win for UC Irvine.
The Aztecs have won 44 of their 67 games (44-23) against UC Santa Barbara in the all-time series, which includes a 33-14 mark in neutral site contests. After defeating the Gauchos 7-4 on Feb. 10, 2018, at that year's Triton Invitational, UCSB has taken the last six meetings, four of which have been at neutral sites.
SDSU sits at 3-5 after its first two weekends of action. Newcomers Amanda Legaspi, a transfer from UC Santa Barbara, and Claudia Valdes, a freshman from Madrid, Spain, have scored 12 and 10 goals, respectively, to pace the team. Sophomore Rose Kanemy leads the squad with nine assists and Auckland, New Zealand freshman goalie, Tiaare Ahovelo has a team-best 41 saves and an 11.40 GAA in the first four games of her college career.
No. 21 Aztecs at Barbara Kalbus Invite this Weekend
