PASADENA, Calif. (Apr. 8, 2026) – The Whittier College women's water polo team closed out the regular season on a high note Wednesday evening, rallying past the Caltech Beavers for a 10-7 victory to clinch a spot in the SCIAC Tournament.
Trailing after the opening quarter, the Poets responded with a dominant second period, holding Caltech scoreless while netting three goals of their own. Alexandra Haluska (Brea, Calif. / Brea Olinda) jump-started the surge with a penalty conversion before adding another score later in the quarter, while Paula Fernandez (Barcelona, Spain) capped the run to give Whittier a 4-3 halftime lead.
The teams traded goals in the third, with Fernandez and Madison Mathewson (Hayward, Calif. / Moreau Catholic) each finding the back of the cage to keep the Poets in front. From there, Whittier took full control in the final frame.
Fernandez delivered a standout senior performance, scoring three goals in the fourth quarter alone as part of a five-goal outing, her third career game with five or more goals. Haluska added her third goal of the night in the period and finished with a team-high six points, dishing out a season-high three assists to go along with her scoring effort.
Kayla Arias (Brea, Calif. / Brea Olinda) chipped in a goal, while Mathewson contributed a goal and two assists in a well-rounded performance.
Defensively, goalkeeper Aubrie Kirkby Tatro (San Luis Obispo, Calif. / Arroyo Grande) anchored the Poets with 10 saves, marking her 10th game this season with double-digit stops. Whittier also tallied nine steals as a team, helping disrupt Caltech's offensive rhythm throughout the match.
With the victory, Head Coach Preslav Djippov and the Poets lock in the No. 5 seed in the SCIAC Tournament, closing the regular season at 6-20 overall and 5-7 in conference play. Whittier heads to Allred Aquatics Center on April 14 for a 7 p.m. first-round rematch with No. 4 Chapman.
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