No. 10 UC Irvine Tops No. 8 Michigan To Open Barbara Kalbus Invitational

Friday, February 23

Irvine, CA

2:30 p.m.

UC Irvine

5-6

Michigan

9-6

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
UC Irvine	2	6	5	3	16
Michigan	3	4	3	1	11

No. 10 UC Irvine Tops No. 8 Michigan To Open Barbara Kalbus Invitational

February 23, 2024 | Women's Water Polo

Box Score

By: Stacey Shackleford

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

IRVINE, Calif. – No. 10 UC Irvine took control in the second half in a 16-11 win over No. 8 Michigan in the opening game of the Barbara Kalbus Invitational at Anteater Aquatics Center.

Libby Alexander and Jensine Bugelli each had four goals and two steals in the victory to lead the Anteaters.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>Kennedy East added three goals, two assists and a steal
>Brooke Hourigan recorded two goals with Lauren Hett, Maja Layden and Gracie Helberg each adding a goal a piece
>Annabelle Mundelius dished three assists
>Faith Tedesco had 10 saves and a steal in the cage for the Anteaters
>Four Michigan players: Kaia Levenfeld, Lola Ciruli, Libby Alsemgeest and Sophia Panossian had a team-best two goals. Goalkeeper Alex Brown had six saves

SCORING BREAKDOWN
FIRST QUARTER: Jensine Bugelli started the scoring with a goal at set 7:28 before two Michigan goals…Lauren Hett took a pass from Annabelle Mundelius on a powerplay (5:24) to make it 2-2…Michigan found the back of the net with 49 seconds left to take a 3-2 advantage.

SECOND QUARTER: Maja Layden skipped in a goal at a five meter at 6:29…Layden then passed the ball across the pool and on to the hand of Libby Alexander who buried it on a quick shot at 5:58, giving UCI the 4-3 advantage…Alexander wasn't done recording another goal at 5:10 (5-3)…UCI continued to dominate stealing a ball and Bugelli scoring on a breakaway at 4:54…Michigan stopped the momentum with a goal at 4:42…Kennedy East got into the scoring at 4:02 (7-4)…Two more Wolverine goals were logged before Brooke Hourigan found the back of the net at 1:48…Michigan had the final goal before the break with UCI leading 8-7

THIRD QUARTER: Hourigan fired a goal from the left side on a pass from Gracie Helberg before Alexander lobbed a soft shot into the goal from seven meters at 6:34 (10-7)…Michigan answered back quickly on the next possesion…Helberg scored down low draped with defenders the next time down the pool (5:46) 11-8…At 3:30, Faith Tedesco stopped a breakaway…After a Michigan goal at 2:46, a hustle play by Sabina Shackleford retrieving a ball off the cage led to an exclusion and goal by Alexander at 2:08…East stole the ball, drew an exclusion and drove down the right side of the pool for a goal, 13-10 at 1:31.

FOURTH QUARTER: Bugelli slipped the ball under the keeper's arm at 6:28, 14-10 then had a back-hand that trickled into the cage at 4:35, 15-10…Grisham drew a five-meter penalty and East netted it at 3:57 16-10…A Michigan goal stopped a string of five consecutive Anteater goals at 3:23, the final score of the game.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine will play UCLA at 8:00 a.m. at Corona del Mar High School.