CBU Falls Short to Aztecs in GCC Quarterfinals

Friday, April 26

Santa Clara, CA

2 PM

California Baptist University

11-18

San Diego State University

16-14

California Baptist

San Diego State

Photo by: Ryley Collom

CBU Falls Short to Aztecs in GCC Quarterfinals

4/26/2024 5:30:00 PM | Women's Water Polo

Box Score

By: Ryley Collom, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications & Digital Media

SANTA CLARA, CA--- In round three between the San Diego State Aztecs and the California Baptist University women's water polo, it would be the Aztecs would walk away with a 16-9 victory in the Golden Coast Conference Quarterfinals.

The Aztecs would net ten second-half goals to hold off the Lancers and etch their name in the GCC semifinals. CBU's season is not done despite the loss, as they will battle the Azusa Pacific Cougars in the 5th-place match on Saturday afternoon.

The match was a defensive struggle in the first half, with just eight goals finding the back of the net between the two teams. The Aztecs would net six compared to the Lancer's two, which Celeste Almendariz and Kyra Kahahawai scored. The Aztecs and Lancers would trade goals for the opening few minutes of the second half, but a 3-1 CBU run to end the third period would tighten the match to a three-goal game.

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The run would be short-lived as a pair of goals by Mimi Stoupas in the early portion of the fourth period would close the door on a Lancer comeback. The Aztecs would close the match on a 5-1 run to earn the 16-9 result and move on to the semifinals.

Almendariz and Kahahawai were phenomenal despite the loss, accounting for seven of the nine goals on the board for CBU. Almendariz netted her third hat trick of the season with a three-goal contest and drew four exclusions to become the NCAA single-season leader for most drawn exclusions for the Lancers. Kahahawai was equally impressive with her second four-goal game of the season and added an assist to boot. Delilah Moreno, a GCC All-Freshman selection, added a goal, an assist, and two steals to her freshman totals.