IRVINE, Calif. — The second-ranked University of Hawai'i water polo team fell to No. 1 UCLA 15-9 in the Barbara Kalbus Invitational championship match on Sunday at Corona del Mar High School in Irvine, Calif.

The Rainbow Wahine fell to 11-2 on the season with both losses coming against UCLA (14-0).

Junior Bernadette Doyle finished the match with a team-high five points (three goals and two assists) and senior Lot Stertefeld led the team with three steals.

The match got off to a lightning quick start with UCLA scoring in the first 16 seconds of play. Doyle netted two goals in a row to start a scoring run for the 'Bows. Stertefeld scored on a power-play opportunity with just four seconds left in the quarter to give UH a 3-1 lead.

Sophomore Bia Mantellato Dias extended the scoring run with two goals to start the second period. Senior Lucia Gomez de la Puente tallied her first goal of the match to give UH a 6-0 run. UCLA scored to end UH's run and the teams traded goals with UH taking an 8-3 lead on a goal by Jordan Wedderburn. The Bruins netted two goals in the final 48 seconds of the quarter making the score 8-5 at halftime.

UCLA scored two goals to begin the second half to cut UH's lead to one, but Doyle scored at the 2:34 mark of the third quarter to earn herself a hat-trick. The Bruins netted a goal with 18 seconds left in the quarter and the Rainbow Wahine held a 9-8 lead going into the fourth. The 'Bows were held scoreless in the final period and the Bruins scored seven goals to extend a 12-1 scoring run starting with 48 seconds left in the second quarter.

The Rainbow Wahine finished with a 3-1 record in the 16-team tournament and their second-place finish was the program's highest in 17 appearances in the Barbara Kalbus Invitational.

The Rainbow Wahine open Big West play on March 8 against UC Davis in Davis, Calif. The 'Bows defeated the Aggies 14-9 in the Triton Invitational earlier this season.

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