California Baptist University
University of California Santa Barbara
MWP Preview: CBU Opens Conference Action Against UCSB on Saturday
10/9/2026 11:10:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist University men's water polo team opens conference action this weekend as they head to Santa Barbara to take on the Gauchos, and will make it a double day with a top-ranked matchup with #2 UCLA.
The Lancers have been stacking wins in non-conference action, currently 19-4 overall, including a recent sweep of the Gary Troyer Tournament in Pomona this past weekend.
CBU will begin its first-ever Big West conference schedule on Saturday afternoon as they make the trek up to Santa Barbara to take on the #12 Guachos at Santa Barbara High School. The Gauchos are on a 6-game winning streak and are coming off ranked wins over #9 San Jose State and #20 Saint Mary's. This will be the 8th all-time meeting between the two programs, with the Gauchos holding a decisive 6-1 series lead; however, the Lancers won the last meeting in 2023 at the Triton Invitational.
The Lancers will then head down to Westwood to face the #2 UCLA Bruins at Spieker Aquatics Center for a 6 PM match. The Bruins entered the season as the #1 team in the nation after winning the 2025 National Championships over USC. The Bruins' recent loss to Stanford dropped them to second in the national rankings; it was their first since November 23 of 2025. UCLA sits at 15-1 with wins over all five top teams and is 3-0 against other Big West members. This will be the 16th all-time meeting between the Lancers and Bruins, with CBU still looking for its first-ever win over UCLA. This will be the first time the two programs have met in Westwood since 2024, and the third time this season the Lancers have faced a top-5 team.
CBU will look to its star dynamic duo of Andrea Nuzzo and Rafa Martinez to guide them to a successful weekend, as the two returners have combined for 95 goals scored this season. Nuzzo leads the way with a conference-leading 54 assists, which is 15 clear of the next highest total, which is his teammate Michael Abshier. Nuzzo was named to the Cutino Award Watchlist and has been outstanding this season with 47 goals and 101 total points. Martinez leads the team in goals with 48, which is second in the Big West and also leads the conference in field blocks with 13.
MATCHUP INFO
CBU at UC Santa Barbara:
DATE/TIME: October 10 @12 PM PT
LOCATION: Santa Barbara High School- Santa Barbara, CA
WATCH: ESPN+
CBU at UCLA:
DATE/TIME: October 10 @6 PM PT
LOCATION: Westwood, CA- Spieker Aquatics Center
WATCH: Overnght
