Women's Water Polo

2026 Women’s Water Polo Conference Slate is Here!

2026 Schedule
The Big West 2026 women’s water polo conference schedule features a seven-game round-robin format running from Feb. 20 through April 4, culminating in the 2026 Big West Women’s Water Polo Championship from April 24-26, hosted by Long Beach State at the newly renovated Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center. The winner of the championship will secure the league’s automatic berth into the National Collegiate Women’s Water Polo Championship.

League play opens on Friday, Feb. 20, with a full slate of conference matchups as all eight programs, Cal State Fullerton, CSUN, Hawai'i, Long Beach State, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Barbara, begin the race toward postseason positioning. Conference contests continue each week through early April, with critical head-to-head battles shaping the standings ahead of the eight-team championship bracket. 

A few of the marquee matchups and storylines include:

  • CSUN at Cal State Fullerton (Feb. 20) — Opening week features an exciting matchup between two programs on the rise from a season ago. The Titans tout an 11-5 record, their highest win total entering conference play in program history, while CSUN sports a 9-3 mark behind a No. 25 national ranking. 
  • Hawai’i at UC Irvine (Feb. 27) — In the past 16 seasons, either UH or UCI has reigned supreme in The Big West Championship 15 times. The Anteraters have earned the title nine times, while the Rainbow Wahine have recorded six championships. During the non-conference segment, UH downed UCI, 11-6, behind Ariadna Temprano Xambo’s four scores.  
  • Hawai’i at Long Beach State (March 1) — A showdown between the past two Big West Championship Final teams. This rivalry has consistently impacted the top of the standings. Despite UH hanging on to win the crown in consecutive seasons, LBSU is reloaded at home with a new all-time leading scorer in Elisa Portillo (226 goals). 
  • UC Davis at UC San Diego (March 27) — Rematch of the thrilling quarterfinal matchup a year ago between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds, respectively. Currently, UCD leads the all-time series 19-12 despite the Tritons getting the better of the Ags the past three outings. 
  • UC San Diego at UC Santa Barbara (April 4)  — The final day of competition always sees drama to determine the final seeding of the bracket. UCSB is paced by Isabel Valaika, who leads the team with 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists), while Abigail Schechter currently leads the Tritons at 32 points (28 goals, 4 assists). 

The 2026 Big West Women's Water Polo Championship will see all eight teams converge on Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center on the campus of Long Beach State, April 10-12, with an eye to the championship trophy. The quarterfinals are set to be played on Friday, April 10, with advancing teams back in the pool for semifinal competition on Saturday. The final two teams will square off on Sunday, April 12, to battle for league superiority.

Hawai’i claimed the 2025 Big West Women’s Water Polo Championship for the second year in a row. The top-seeded Rainbow Wahine defeated No. 2 seed Long Beach State by a final score of 8-6 in the title game to claim the program’s sixth conference championship. UH would then go on to advance to consecutive NC Championship Semifinal appearances.