PASADENA, CA — The University of La Verne women's water polo team used a dominant start and a balanced offensive attack to power past Caltech, 13-9, on Saturday morning at Braun Pool.

Senior Reiley Burton had a standout performance for the Leopards, scoring four goals and adding two assists to total six total points. Brianna Zapata also came up big with three goals, one assist, and a steal, while Gigi Gomez played the role of distributor, finishing with two goals and a game-high five assists, leading with seven points.

La Verne came out firing, posting a 4-0 shutout in the first quarter and never trailing in the match. Gomez and Zapata helped pace an explosive second quarter, combining for two goals as the Leopards took an 8-4 lead into halftime.

In the cage, Miranda Graham anchored the defense with four saves in just over 21 minutes of action. Brooklyn Young added a goal, an assist, and a team-high three steals, while Maddie Grove turned in another strong all-around performance with two goals and two steals.

Maya De Guzman and Payge Miller each contributed defensively, helping the Leopards limit Caltech's high-powered scorer Maya Dickson to just five goals on eight attempts.

Season Impact

With the win, La Verne improves to 8-14 overall and 7-4 in SCIAC play, now tied with Cal Lutheran for third place as the postseason nears. Caltech drops to 4-17 overall and 1-9 in conference.

Next Game

The Leopards return to action on Wednesday, April 16, when they host Pomona-Pitzer at 4 p.m. at Las Flores Pool.