CBU Opens Up 2025 Season at the ASU Invite

Saturday, January 18

Tempe, AZ

9 AM

California Baptist University

0-0. 0-0

UC Davis

0-0, 0-0

California Baptist

UC Davis

CBU Opens Up 2025 Season at the ASU Invite

1/18/2025 4:11:00 PM | Women's Water Polo

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

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

TEMPE, AZ--- The California Baptist University women's water polo opened up the 2025 season with a pair of games against ranked opponents at the ASU Invitational on Saturday afternoon. CBU hung tough but would drop both contests against #15 UC Davis and #23 San Diego State, respectively.

GAME 1 vs UC DAVIS:

In the first game of the season for both teams, it would be the Aggies who find their rhythm first, scoring six quick goals in the opening period compared to just one for the Lancers. CBU's defense would get tighter in the second period, but the Aggies still managed to put up a trio of goals on the scoreboard and would carry a commanding 9-2 lead into the break.

The third period was a near stalemate as both team's defenses played very strong and produced multiple turnovers on their opposition. Freshman keeper Aleksandra Antanasijevic was inserted for her first collegiate action in goal and would come up with three saves in the third period alone while only allowing two for the frame. CBU's offense caught fire in the fourth period after being extremely quiet through three quarters of action. Devyn Ruffer got the scoring started with a skip shot past the Aggie defense off a powerplay and was quickly followed by goals from her teammates Grace Bergquist and Emaly Hutton to trim the Aggie lead to 13-5.

The Lancers would add four more goals to the tally in the period, but the Aggies had already done too much damage on the scoreboard and would off the comeback attempt 16-9. CBU's goal scoring was evenly dispersed, with all nine goals coming from a different scorer.

GAME 2 vs SAN DIEGO ST.:

CBU shook off the rust from the first game and put together a solid first period, netting four goals from four different scorers. One of the first period scorers was senior Dora Lehoczky who would net her 100th career goal off a penalty shot opportunity. After the early CBU surge, the Aztecs settled in and would take their first lead of the game at 5-4 midway through the second period on a powerplay. The two teams would exchange goals down the stretch of the first half, but the Aztecs would get one more than CBU and would lead 9-8 at halftime.

The Aztecs would carry their second-period momentum into the third quarter and would take its largest lead at 13-10. CBU would score two goals over the final minute and change of the third period, including a buzzer-beating goal from Celeste Almendariz to cut the deficit to one heading into the final period. The Lancers would tie the match on three different occasions in the final period, but the Aztecs would net three goals down the backstretch of the frame to hold off CBU 19-16.

The 16 goals scored by CBU are the most against a ranked opponent since they put up 17 on #22 CSUN last season. Almendariz and Kyra Kahahawai were the leaders on offense, combining for eight goals in the defeat. Almendariz tied her career-high with five goals on seven attempts, while Kahahawai shot 50% from the pool with a hat trick on six shots.

NEXT: The Lancers will return to Mona Plummer Aquatics Center for day two of the ASU Invite to take on #13 Arizona State and Cal Lutheran.