RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Water polo kicked off the 2026 season at the Lancer Joust hosted by California Baptist University.  The Cougars opened the season with a 17-8 defeat against #2 USC before taking down La Verne 18-6.

Game One: USC 17, Azusa Pacific 8

The Cougars jumped out to an early lead against a USC side that has reached the national championship game six times in the last seven seasons as Jessie Nelson scored twice in the opening three minutes.  Newcomer Bailey Hollick scored just as a Cougar power play expired to give Azusa Pacific a 4-2 advantage that would hold until the end of the first quarter.  After the Women of Troy tied the contest early in the second quarter, Nelson would complete her hat trick to briefly put the Cougars back in front, 5-4.  That would prove to be Azusa Pacific's final lead of the contest as USC would score the final three goals of the half.

Kohia Rego pulled the Cougars back within one early in the third before USC began imposing its will, scoring on three consecutive possessions to assume a 10-6 lead.  Audrey Dexter pulled one back, but USC would stretch the lead to 12-7 by quarter's end.  Montana White would close out the scoring for the Cougars with a penalty shot with just under three minutes to play that made the score 14-8 at the time before the Trojans struck for three in the dying minutes of the contest.  Nelson had 3 goals in the game, while Daniela Herrero Miralles made 11 saves on the day.

Game Two:  Azusa Pacific 18, La Verne 6

After a slow start, White opened the Cougars' scoring account with a strike near the midway point of the opening quarter to tie the game.  The Leopards, who came in ranked 6th in Division III, responded with a pair of goals to take a 3-2 lead into the second quarter.  Nelson would tie the game early in the second with her fourth goal of the day.  Just past the midway point of the second, Dexter gave the Cougars a lead that they would not relinquish.  That strike kicked off a stretch where Azusa Pacific scored on six consecutive possessions, highlighted by a Hollick hat trick, putting the Cougars up 9-4 at the half.

The Cougars continued slowly pulling away in the third, as White completed her hat trick and Nelson picked up a brace to make the lead 12-5 heading into the final quarter.  Nelson became the third Cougar with a hat trick on the first goal of the fourth, and the Cougars continued to pour on the offense, scoring six times in the final quarter.  White had four goals and two assists, Hollick also scored four times, and Nelson ended up with six goals across the doubleheader.

Up Next: The Cougars (1-1) will reconvene at Pomona-Pitzer in Claremont on Saturday for another doubleheader, taking on UC San Diego at 1:00 p.m. before facing the host Sagehens (the defending NCAA D3 champions) at 3:00.