UC Irvine Earns Four All-Big West Honors
April 17, 2026 | Women's Water Polo
IRVINE, Calif. - Four UC Irvine women's water polo players earned All-Big West honors, the conference announced Friday.
Junior Lauren Hett landed on the All-Big West First Team, while redshirt senior Madi O'Hara and junior Sara Naulty earned spots on the All-Big West Second Team. Michelle Urkov earned an All-Freshman Team distinction.
Hett received her fourth Big West postseason honor in her third year with the 'Eaters. The junior paced the team across nearly every major category, leading in goals (73), assists (39), points (112), steals (34), and field blocks (24), while setting new single-season bests in both goals and points. She ranked among the conference's top performers as well, finishing second in the Big West in both goals and points, fourth in assists, and first in field blocks. Her 34 steals placed eighth, while her per-game averages, 2.7 goals (first), 1.4 assists (fifth), 4.1 points (second), and 1.3 steals (sixth), further display her all-around impact. The attacker also earned Big West Player of the Week honors on Feb. 25 after a standout six-point performance on four goals and two assists that led the 'Eaters to their first conference victory of the season.
O'Hara earned her second postseason honor in her final season with the Anteaters, capping a strong redshirt senior campaign. She finished third on the team with 35 goals and led the squad with 46 drawn exclusions. The utility player also contributed two assists for 37 total points, while adding six steals and two field blocks on the defensive end. Her efficiency stood out as well, as her .530 shooting percentage ranked second on the team.
Naulty secured her first Big West postseason honor in her third year with the 'Eaters. The junior ranked second on the team in goals (37), assists (29), and total points (66), while setting new single-season highs in both goals and assists. The attacker also contributed 12 steals, nine drawn exclusions, and six field blocks. Naulty delivered one of her top performances in the Big West Championship semifinal, scoring a season-high four goals to lead the Anteaters in a narrow one-goal loss to Hawai'i.
Urkov notched her first postseason honor in her first year with the Anteaters. She finished third on the team with 52 points and 19 assists, while her 33 goals ranked fourth on the squad. The attacker added 17 drawn exclusions, 17 steals, and nine field blocks, with her field block total ranking fifth in the conference. Urkov also recorded 11 multi-goal performances across 27 appearances.
