San Jose, Calif.---- Junior Olga Descalzi Portell matched a personal single-match high of six goals and San Jose State University played its best first half of a match this season before #3-ranked UCLA outlasted the Spartans, 17-11, in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) women's water polo contest.
Descalzi Portell used a variety of shots from different points in the Student Recreation and Aquatics Center pool on the San Jose State campus to keep the Spartans' upset chances alive scoring four of her six goals in the first half all on even strength situations. By the end of the match, Descalzi Portell had five even strength goals and scored once on a power play.
"Olga was positioning herself in these shooting lanes before she got the ball. So, when she received it, she in that catch-and-shoot position. Those are looks we worked for and it was really fun to her get those and connect," said San Jose State University women's water polo head coach Beth Harberts whose team had its best shooting percentage in MPSF action converting 42.3 percent of its shots (11-of-28).
For a little more than a half, the Spartans (1-9, 0-6 MPSF) could really think about upsetting the Bruins and posting a win against a top-three ranked team for the first time in program history.
Unlike the previous day when UCLA (7-1, 5-1 MPSF) humbled San Jose State, 18-6, with a 6-0 scoring barrage in the first quarter, the Spartans led twice in the first quarter and were ahead at the break, 4-3, on a Riley Agerbeek power play score with 0:04 on the clock. San Jose State had been scoreless in the first quarter of its three previous matches, but matched its first-quarter season scoring high against the Bruins.
Descalzi Portell sent the teams tied going into halftime, 6-6, scoring with 0:52 in the second quarter.
"I think the first game, we were a little timid in the first quarter and we learned from that. We shifted gears especially this game. We really wanted to have that first quarter be our plan of attack and get UCLA kind of back on its heels," the Spartan coach added.
UCLA gained its first real advantage early in the third quarter on back-to-back power play conversions by Hannah Palmer and Myna Simmons and an even strength tally by Ava Johnson for a 9-6 lead in the first three minutes. San Jose State never cut the deficit to less than two goals the rest of third quarter and three scores twice in the final quarter.
"We got in some foul trouble with some of our two-meter defenders," said Herberts who had to adjust the team's individual defensive assignments in the second half.
Still the Spartans' 11 goals against the Bruins are the most scored by San Jose State in one UCLA match since the series began in 1995 and is just the eighth time since 2015 the Bruins allowed 10 or more goals in a contest.
Hannah Henry was in goal the entire match for San Jose State and made eight saves to go along with her 10 in three quarters in Saturday's loss to UCLA. Jahmea Bent was credited with seven saves for the Bruins.
San Jose State remains at home next weekend, April 10 and 11, hosting #6-California in a MPSF contest each afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
San Jose State University women's water polo
#17-San Jose State (1-9, 0-6 MPSF) vs. #3-UCLA (7-1, 5-1 MPSF)
SRAC, San Jose, Calif.
April 4, 2021
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match
| Score by quarters | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #3-UCLA (8-1, 5-1 MPSF) | 3 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 17 |
| #17-San Jose State (1-9, 0-6 MPSF) | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 11 |
| Goal scoring |
| UCLA - Hannah Palmer, Ava Johnson, Malia Allen, 4, each; Val Ayala, Lexi Liebowitz, 2, each; Myna Simmons, 1. |
| San Jose State – Olga Descalzi Portell, 6; Riley Agerbeek, 2; Clarissa Wandinger, Emma Hank, Sierra Painter, 1, each. |
| Goalkeeper saves |
| UCLA – Jahmea Bent (31:40), 7; Georgia Phillips (0:20), 0. |
| San Jose State – Hannah Henry, 8. |
| Ejections |
| UCLA – 9. |
| San Jose State – 7. |