IRVINE, Calif. - The No. 4 University of Hawai`i women's water polo squad (14-6, 9-2) rallied to defeat No. 11 UC Irvine (11-12, 4-8), 9-6, in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match at Anteater Aquatics Complex this afternoon. The Rainbow Wahine have now won nine-straight matches.

UCI took a 2-0 lead in the first quarter on pair of goals by Jessica Lewis. UH All-American Beth Novick scored the first of her two goals to cut the deficit to one at the end of the first quarter.

UH's Iefke Van Belkum tied the score at two apiece converting a penalty shot. UCI's Robyn Kaake and Nicole Flacco scored putting the Anteaters up by two with 1:12 remaining in the second. UH scored twice in the final 57 seconds on goals by Novick and Monika Kruszona to knot it at four apiece at halftime.

The Rainbow Wahine got a three-goal outburst by Van Belkum in the third quarter to take control of the match, while UCI's Nikki Frish scored to make it 7-5 UH at the end of three.

In the fourth, UH's Kruszona added a pair of goals to seal the victory.

UH goalkeeper Meike De Nooy made seven stops for the Rainbow Wahine, while UCI goaltender Lauren Machanis also came up with seven saves.

Hawai`i begins play in the Long Beach Tournament tomorrow with a pair of matches against No. 13 Michigan and No. 17 Cal State Northridge. UH closes out the tournament with two more matches on Sunday against unranked Cal State Bakersfield and No. 18 Hartwick College.

Scoring by Quarters	1	2	3	4		Final

Hawai`i		1	3	3	2	-	9

UC Irvine		2	2	1	1	-	6



Goals by UCI:   Lewis (2), Flacco (2), Kaake, Frish. 

UCI Goalie Saves:   Machanis (7).

Goals by UH:   Van Belkum (4), Kruszona (3), Novick (2).

UH Goalie Saves:  De Nooy (7).