Women's Water Polo 2025 Season Review - UCI Athletics
IRVINE, Calif. -- UC Irvine women's water polo wrapped up their 2024 season in the semifinal round of the Big West Championship at UC Davis.Overall record: 15-13
Conference record: 5-2
Home record: 6-6
Away record: 3-3
Neutral site record: 6-4
Big West finish: 3rd
Postseason: No. 3 seeded UC Irvine advanced to the Big West Championship semifinal
Final national ranking: 8th (CWPA and ACWPC)
PROVEN WINNERS
UC Irvine placed second in the Big West behind a 5-2 league record, 15-13 overall. Director of Water Polo Dan Klatt now has 20 straight winning seasons including one in all 16 since joining the Big West. Associate head coach Andrew Rowe and assistant coach Alys Moore were given opportunities to serve as the acting head coach throughout the course of the year as well.
RECORD SCORING
The 2025 squad had no issue finding the back of the cage as they recorded 413 goals in 28 games played. 413 is the highest scored in the program's single season history besting the 366 tallied in 2014. Additionally, the 2025 Anteaters averaged 14.8 goals per game, a new single-season best, passing the 12.81 mark set in 2023.
A new program record of goals in a game was also set in 2025 with 28 poured in on March 12th inside the Anteater Aquatics Complex. 14 different Anteaters chipped in led by Maja Layden and Lauren Hett, each scoring four goals.
GOLDEN NUMBER 20
For the fourth straight year, UC Irvine has posted a 20-goal game at least once during their campaign. The 'Eaters posted five 20-goal efforts in 2025, the most in a single season for UC Irvine. On Jan. 31, UCI put away 22 scores against California Baptist to kick off the stint of 20-goal games. The Anteaters posted 20-6 and 20-2 results over La Salle (Feb. 28) and Cal State Monterey (Mar. 1), respectively, at the Convergence Invitational, won 28-15 over CUI (Mar. 12), and rounded it out with a 20-9 victory over Brown on Mar. 25.
100-CAREER GOALS CLUB
Four Anteaters reached the 100-career goal milestone this season. Center Nioka Thomas was the first to hit the mark on Mar. 5 in a five-goal day at Cal State Fullerton and attacker Libby Alexander surpassed the century mark a game later as she found the back of the cage three times at UC San Diego (Mar. 8). On April 17 against Long Beach State in the regular season finale, both Lauren Hett and Kennedy East reached the milestone with two goals apiece.
Alexander (116) and East (105) will graduate with their totals while Thomas (115) and Hett (107) have time to rise in the all-time leaderboard.
CUTINO AWARD WATCH LIST
Lauren Hett added another recognition to her file as she became the first player in the program's history to be named to the watch list for the prestigious Peter J. Cutino Award. She is just one of 20 players on the list and is one of four from the Big West. This honor comes after two conference player of the week nods in 2025 to total three in her career and being named the 2024 Big West Freshman of the Year as well as finding spots on the second and all-freshman teams.
Hett ended the year as UC Irvine's leader with 67 goals and 97 points. She posted a career-high five goals twice this season, while notching hat-tricks on 13 occasions. The sophomore's 67 goals were fifth in the Big West and tied the fourth-best single season scoring mark in program history.
BEST OF THE BIG WEST
Six Anteaters were named to All-Big West Teams. Lauren Hett headlined on the All-Big West First Team while the graduating attacking duo of Brooke Hourigan and Kennedy East landed on the All-Big West Second Team. The center's Nioka Thomas and Madi O'Hara earned honorable mention recognition. Rounding it out, Pippa Heaver was selected to the All-Big West Freshman Team.
UC Irvine has now had four or more honorees on the All-Big West team in all 15 seasons they've been recognized.
