CSUN Water Polo's Season Ends in Big West Quarterfinals

Friday, April 10

Long Beach, Calif.

4:30 p.m.

California State University at Northridge

17-9

(3) UC Davis

15-12

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
CSUN	3	0	1	0	4
UC Davis	4	1	3	8	16

Matt Warshaw with team at Big West tournament 4-10-26

Photo by: Big West Conference

CSUN Water Polo's Season Ends in Big West Quarterfinals

4/10/2026 5:56:00 PM | Women's Water Polo

Box Score

LONG BEACH, Calif.---The 23rd-ranked CSUN Water Polo team had its season come to an end in the Big West Championship quarterfinal round with a 16-4 loss to 15th-ranked UC Davis on Friday at Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center. Seeded sixth in the conference tournament, the Matadors kept the game close through the first half of action before the third-seeded Aggies pulled away in the second half, scoring 11 times.

Sophomore Mackenzie Wood led the CSUN offense with two goals while freshmen Mira Dravucz and Marjorie Krueger had one goal each.

HOW IT HAPPENED
CSUN lit up the scoreboard first in the opening minute of action when Dravucz hit the net before the Aggies went on a 3-0 run, powered by two five-meter penalty shots. The Matadors took advantage of an Aggie penalty to draw closer as Wood scored. With 1:04 left in the first period, Wood squared the game at 3-3, but UC Davis went back in front on a tally from Nina Albers in the final seconds.

Chelsea Johnson extended the Aggies' lead to 5-3 on a power play early in the second period, but that would be the lone tally of the quarter. Despite drawing a pair of exclusions, CSUN came up empty on those 6-on-5 chances as the Matadors went into intermission trailing 5-3.

The early stages of the third period saw Johnson score a goal for UC Davis only for Marjorie Krueger to answer that strike to pull CSUN to within 6-4. Johnson though responded with another goal on the Aggies' next possession. The Matadors continued to draw exclusions including three in the third period alone but could not cash in on opportunities. Overall, CSUN went 0-for-10 in power plays on the day.

The Aggies extended to an 8-4 lead late in the third period before blowing the game open in the fourth quarter. Six different Aggies scored in an eight-goal explosion in the fourth quarter as CSUN could find the net in the final period.

NOTES OF THE GAME

CSUN concludes the 2026 season with a 17-9 overall record.
UC Davis improved to 15-12 this season and will play second-seeded Long Beach State in a Big West semifinal match on Saturday.
Goalkeeper Erika Staine played over 27 minutes of action in front of the cage, picking up six saves.
The senior trio of Kianna Melvin, Alexis Smith and Leah Huisar each played in their final matches as Matadors.
Dravucz concluded her breakout freshman season, finishing with 63 goals and 90 points.

ACCORDING TO COACH MATT WARSHAW
"College sports are a special thing with every year being a uniquely rewarding experience. The three seniors are leaving the program better than they found it and the future is bright for us with the youngest roster in the Big West. Go Matadors."

#GoMatadors