The 10th-ranked UC Davis women’s water polo team finished its Big West Conference regular season in just the fashion it was hoping.
Led by senior Lindsay Kiyama and freshman Kaylee Miller, who each scored a hat trick, UC Davis pounded Pacific 14-6 on Saturday afternoon at Schaal Aquatics Center.
With the win, the Aggies clinched the second seed in the conference tournament later this month. The high rank ensures a first-round bye in the inaugural Big West Championship that will be played in Stockton on Apr. 23 to 25.
“We are really stoked to get into tournament play,” Miller said. “It would just be so cool to win the first ever Big West title, and I know the whole team is counting down the days to get out there and beat Irvine.“
Miller was not the only young star in the water on Saturday. Freshman Alicia Began and sophomore Lauren Seidemann each added two strikes to help the Aggies tame the Tigers.
UC Davis, which had been struggling with its shooting the past three games, came out and proved the slump was over, shooting 11-for-15 in the first half en route to an 11-2 lead at the break.
“It was so nice to get out to a great start,” sophomore Dakotah Mohr said. “We have been struggling with slow starts, and it was great to get out there and punish them early.“
The UC Davis lead was too much for Pacific to overcome in the second half, and the Aggies closed out the fourth quarter strong for their sixth victory in their past seven games.
The Aggies improve to 21-8 on the season and 4-1 in Big West play.
UC Davis returns to nonconference action on Apr. 17 and 18 when it hosts Santa Clara and San Jose State.
SAMMY BRASCH can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
