LA JOLLA, Calif. - The UC San Diego women's water polo team and first-year head coach Sarah Lizotte officially announced the squad's 2026 competition schedule Monday.
The home calendar features the annual Triton Invitational as well as seven single matches, three of those coming in the form of Big West match-ups.
Season tickets are set to go on sale on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 10 a.m. Pacific through the Triton Box Office. Single game tickets will be available for purchase in January.
The 2026 campaign launches with five straight matches away from La Jolla. On Jan. 17, the Tritons travel to Pomona-Pitzer in Claremont, Calif., to get things started against Pomona-Pitzer as well as Azusa Pacific. A week later, the team treks to Tempe, Ariz., to play in Arizona State's ASU Invitational. On Jan. 24, UC San Diego plays McKendree and Californina Baptist. The next day, the Tritons take on the host Sun Devils.
The home slate begins with the Triton Invitational, which is set for Jan. 30-Feb. 1 at Canyonview Aquatic Center in La Jolla. The 2025 event saw third-ranked USC defeat top-ranked UCLA, 14-11, in the championship showdown.
Following a non-conference game at LMU on Feb. 7, the Tritons dive into Big West action with three-consecutive battles - at UC Irvine (Feb. 20), at Cal State Fullerton (Feb. 22), and home against CSUN (Feb. 28).
On March 4, Michigan comes to Canyonview for a midweek game. The Tritons and Wolverines played one another in 2025 in La Jolla, with UC San Diego coming out on top in a 13-12 nail biter.
Two Big West games follow as UC San Diego travels to 2025 and 2024 Big West champion Hawai'i on March 7 before hosting Long Beach State on March 13.
UC San Diego takes part in San Diego State's Aztec Invite March 14-15. The Tritons will play three games over the two days, starting against Harvard at Canyonview on the first day. The next day, UC San Diego faces Indiana and Fresno State at SDSU's Aztec Aquaplex. The Tritons last competed in the Aztec Invite in 2024 when they went 3-0, which included a victory against eighth-ranked Princeton.
The final four games of the regular season include two Big West challenges and two non-conference match-ups.
League rival UC Davis visits Canyonview on March 27 and Senior Day follows on March 28 as Brown comes to La Jolla from Providence, R.I.
The always-exciting Harper Cup game against San Diego State is set for Apr. 2 at Aztec Aquaplex. In 2025, the Tritons won their ninth-straight Harper Cup with an 18-16 vicrtory in La Jolla.
The final tune up prior to the Big West Championship comes on Apr. 4 at conference opponent UC Santa Barbara.
The Big West Championship is set for Apr. 10-12 with Long Beach State serving as host. Last season at UC Irvine, the Tritons took down UC Davis in a quarterfinal before falling to Hawai'i in a semi.
The Big West champion earns an automatic berth in the 2026 NCAA National Collegiate Championship. UC San Diego will host the tournament Apr. 24-26 at Canyonview Aquatic Center. More information, including ticket sales, will be released at a later date.
In 2025, UC San Diego went 17-14 while posting a 4-3 Big West mark.
