LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Cougar water polo team brought their 2025 season to a close on a high note, jumping out to a big opening quarter and holding on for a 15-14 victory over Cal Baptist in the fifth-place contest of the Golden Coast Conference tournament at Loyola Marymount.  With the win, the Cougars secured not just fifth place, but also their third-consecutive winning season.

How It Happened: Laia Marsinach Ortega was a huge part of the early lead the Cougars claimed for themselves, scoring on three of the Cougars' first four possessions.  That early hat trick gave Azusa Pacific a quick 3-0 lead.  After Cal Baptist got on the board, the Cougars continued the onslaught.  Alexandra Akritidou scored consecutive goals, helping the Cougars to a 6-1 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Marsinach Ortega would strike twice more in the second, and when Rachel Ahumada struck with just over five minutes left in the half, Azusa Pacific had their largest lead of the game at 9-3. Marsinach Ortega would have six goals before halftime, and despite a brief Lancer rally, Ahumada's second score of the quarter just beat the halftime buzzer to send Azusa Pacific into intermission with an 11-7 advantage.

The defense regrouped in the third quarter, holding the Lancers to just one goal over the first seven minutes of the period and matching the Cougars largest lead of the game at 14-8.  But Cal Baptist rallied, scoring two goals just before the quarter's end and the first of the fourth.  It was Catherine Ahumada who provided the valuable insurance goal with 6:38 to play that gave the Cougars a 15-11 lead at the time and proved to be the game-winner.  The Lancers cut the deficit to one in the final minute, but the Cougars were able to salt away the final seconds and deny Cal Baptist a chance to tie the game.

By the Numbers: Marsinach Ortega had an incredible game on offense, scoring six goals and an assist. Akritidou had a hat trick as part of a four-point game, while Jaeden Johnson found open teammates on all sides, collecting six assists in the game.  In goal, Daniela Herrero Miralles made seven saves, many of them shorthanded as the Cougars had to survive 15 Lancer power plays over the course of the match.

With the victory, Azusa Pacific finishes the season with a record of 17-15, having secured a winning record for the third year in a row, the longest such stretch in program history.  While a large senior class departs, leading scorers Marsinach Ortega (69 goals in 2025) and Jessie Nelson (67) look to be the core of a strong returning offense in front of Herrero Miralles (267 saves) as they look ahead to 2026.