No. 11 Harvard Women’s Water Polo Completes Competitive California Road Trip

The opening weekend presented Harvard with an opportunity to dive headfirst into elite competition, beginning with a daunting matchup against the second-ranked University of Southern California. Harvard understood the stakes in facing a juggernaut in USC, so the Crimson hoped to deliver an early statement, but quickly found themselves in deep waters. The Trojans confidently bursted to a 7-3 lead, leaving Harvard to play from behind. Despite spirited efforts, the team could not close the gap and fell to the Trojans, 17-10.

Harvard rebounded with a renewed drive and purpose in its second game of the day against No. 9 UC San Diego. Junior attacker Ruby Hodge was electric across the board, racking up three goals and four assists to lead the offensive pursuit. First year defender Niki Piovan tied Hodges in the scoring party, while first year goalie Orli Cooper anchored the defense, grasping 16 saves. In a gritty battle, Harvard emerged victorious in narrow fashion against UC San Diego, 13-11, marking a notable win against a top-10 opponent.

“We knew that this was just another chance to get better. We were connected in the pool, and we supported each other. Every goal I scored was thanks to my teammates that made it happen. Every assist I had was thanks to my teammate putting the ball in the back of the net. It is all a team effort for Harvard water polo, and I would not want it any other way,” Hodge said.

Day two presented familiar competition for the Crimson as it squared off against No. 14 Michigan. In the last matchup between the two teams, Harvard demolished the Wolverines 14-3 at home in Cambridge, leaving Michigan to patch its wound and prepare for its revenge. This time, however, the Wolverines were ready. Michigan entered the first quarter with a vengeance, jumping out to an early lead and never looked back, building an 8-3 lead by the third quarter. The Crimson found a sliver of determination to comeback and score four goals to close the gap, led by Heidi Heffelfinger’s hat trick. The team ultimately fell just short, 9-7.

In the weekend finale, the Crimson made a point to turn the page as it squared off against No. 15 Indiana. Persistent to shake the invitational trend of playing from behind, Harvard committed to starting the match on the offensive charge. Sophomore center defender Emma Gilbert and Piovan led this aggression, tallying 11 of the Crimson’s 16 goals. But the Hoosiers matched them shot for shot, pushing the game into a tense third overtime. In the end, Indiana squealed out of Harvard’s grasp with a 17-16 win, leaving Harvard 1-3 on the weekend despite the flashes of brilliance.

“While we didn’t get the result we wanted, the team understood that off weekends happen. Personally, I am always happy when I can contribute to the team by making saves,” Cooper said, “Mentally, I work on staying focused and in the moment both in practice and games. Similar to everyone else, I had to let go of my feelings from last weekend and focus on specific areas I could improve on for the upcoming games”.

Harvard remained in California for the week, enjoying the beautiful sights and warm sun while still preparing for the last weekend of competition in the invitational.

“In between weekends, we focused on setting our minds and bodies right by training hard and spending time with the Harvard Water Polo Family. We spent time reflecting on the lessons we had learned and implemented them in the following weekend,” Junior Captain Ella Schneider said.

Schneider added the group is special because, “We are able to adapt and grow with each game we play. While we have been happy with our results, the group isn’t driven by them. Instead, we are motivated by our love for one another and our passion for improving in the sport we love.”

Refreshed and refocused, Harvard returned to the pool encouraged to finish its West Coast trip in strong fashion. Its first test came against No. 17 San Jose State University– and the Crimson delivered emphatically. Senior Dany Zapata led the Crimson to a victory over the Spartans with four goals and an assist. At one point, Harvard managed to score eight consecutive goals. The commanding 14-6 victory set the tone for the weekend and reminded opponents of the Crimson’s offensive firepower.

Harvard’s win was a breath of fresh air, but its confidence would be tested in its next match when it faced the nation’s top-ranked team: Stanford. The Cardinals affirmed why they sit at the pinnacle of the college water polo rankings, racing to an 11-1 lead at halftime. Harvard responded in the second half with three goals in the final quarter, but Stanford’s suffocating defense and offensive strength led to the Crimson’s defeat, 16-5.

Still, one game remained, and one last chance for Harvard to finish the road trip with momentum. The Crimson made it count. In the final game of the invitational, Harvard faced Santa Clara University and from the jump, was in control. By halftime, Harvard led 11-2 and with the contribution of three hat tricks, won 18-2. The victory closed the California campaign on a high note.

“I think the 3 games we played this past weekend were all so different that there’s unique things that we each learnt and took away from them,” said Zapata. “Knowing that we’re capable of executing our game plan when we prepare is a big takeaway from the San Jose game in my opinion. We prepared and we dominated.”

“Against Stanford, we knew that playing the number 1 team in the country was going to be tough. Honestly, we all learned from them and how using the whole pool is very important, even when we’re tired,” she added.

Though the trip ended with more losses than wins, Harvard’s performance proved it can hang with the best in the college water polo scene. The tough competition revealed a team with resilience, depth and flashes of elite-level potential. From standout performances by underclassmen like Piovan and Cooper to veteran leaders from Zapata and Hodges, the Crimson displayed its competitive ability to learn from the challenge and perform at the highest level.

With the postseason inching closer, the West Coast grind may prove to be just what Harvard needed: a proving ground, a wake-up call, and a spark for the stretch run.

“Overall, I think the team is feeling really keen to finish our regular season off in first place which is something that the women’s water polo program at Harvard has never achieved before,” concluded Zapata.

– Staff Writer Chandler Piggé can be reached at chandler.pigge@thecrimson.com.