San Diego State University’s women’s water polo team split its games on March 15 at the 18th Aztec Invitational, defeating No. 24 Pomona-Pitzer 17-13 before falling to No. 12 Harvard 14-9 at the Aztec Aquaplex. The team finished the event with a 3-1 record, marking its best performance since a 4-1 finish in 2023.
The results highlight San Diego State’s strong showing against ranked opponents and underscore individual achievements within the squad. Claudia Valdes scored twice against Pomona-Pitzer and once against Harvard, moving into fifth place on the program’s career goals list with a total of 236 goals, surpassing Larisa Baltgalvis.
In the victory over Pomona-Pitzer, Poppy Phillips matched her career high by scoring four goals. Multiple players contributed to the offense, including Lucy Bullock, Shannon Murphy, Valdes, and Mimi Stoupas with two goals each. Mandy Lagerlof played the entire game in goal for San Diego State and recorded five saves.
Against Harvard, Stoupas led San Diego State with four goals while Phillips added three more. Despite being tied after three quarters at nine goals apiece, San Diego State was held scoreless in the final period as Harvard scored five unanswered goals to secure the win. Kyla Pranajaya made nine saves for San Diego State during this match.
The Aztecs’ performance at their home invitational demonstrates continued progress for the program and notable individual milestones for key players such as Valdes. The team will look to build on these results as it continues through its season.
