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: 18-11
Conference record: 5-2
Home record: 4-3
Away record: 3-1
Neutral site record: 11-7
Big West finish: 2nd
Postseason: No. 2 seeded UC Irvine advanced to the Big West Championship semifinal
Final national ranking: 8^th (CWPA)/9^th (ACWPC)

PROVEN WINNERS
UC Irvine placed second in the Big West behind a 5-2 league record, 18-11 overall. Head coach Dan Klatt now has 19 straight winning seasons including one in all 15 since joining the Big West.

GOLDEN NUMBER 20
For the third straight year, UC Irvine has posted a 20-goal game at least once during their campaign.

The 'Eaters took down No. 25/23 San Diego State on Mar. 2, 20-8, to close out a perfect 4-0 weekend at the Pomona-Pitzer Convergence Invitational. This was their 17th 20-goal effort in program history.

GO FOR THE GOAL
Libby Alexander holds the top spot in goals (43) and points (59) for the Anteaters and shot at a shocking 0.538 clip. The junior posted a career high four goals three times during the season, the last a perfect 4-4 at the cage in the 11-9 winning effort over UC Davis on Apr. 7.

LOCKDOWN DEFENSE
In the pool, the Anteaters outperformed their opponents in both steals and field blocks when it came to defending their territory. UCI recorded 244 takeaways to their oppositions 189 and out blocked their opponents in the field, 86-64.

Jensine Bugelli was the top Anteater with 36 steals, ten more than the next player on the squad, and finished the year ranked eighth in the conference in the category. Kennedy East tallied 12 field blocks, first on the team, and fifth in the league followed by Lauren Hett with 10, tied seventh in the conference.
 
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Through the duration of the 2024 season, two Anteaters were recognized as the Big West's Player of the Week.

Hett was the first to earn recognition on Apr. 3 after leading UCI to a 2-0 week, where she scored five goals on eight shots and two steals. Faith Tedesco was next, the last honoree of the campaign (Apr. 24). Tedesco stopped a career high 19 saves, one shy from the school record, to help the Anteaters defeat rival Long Beach State in a crucial match up.

BEST OF THE BIG WEST
Four Anteaters were named to All-Big West Teams. Hett garnered Freshman of the Year honors, the first UCI player to do so since 2018, along with Second Team and All-Freshman Team recognition.

Alexander headlined on the All-Big West First Team and Tedesco tallied Honorable Mention nods. Lastly, Annabelle Mundelius joins Hett on the all-rookie squad.

UC Irvine has now had four or more honorees on the All-Big West team in all 14 seasons they've been recognized.