VALLEJO, Calif. — Anjali Sharma scored California Maritime Academy’s inaugural goal of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Women’s Water Polo Finals just under two minutes after the Keelhaulers’ matchup against Ottawa University (AZ) commenced to pull her team even with the visiting Spirit.
She found the back of the cage once again in the fourth quarter to score CSUM’s final goal of that match; between her goals, Olivia Larwood scored in the second quarter as the pair were responsible for the Keelhaulers’ offense throughout the tournament’s opener.
By scoring six of seven goals recorded throughout the second period, OUAZ pulled away to record a 19-3 victory.
In Saturday’s final round robin matchup, the Keelhaulers squared off against local rival the University of California-Merced in a rematch of the 2024 season opener.
Even though the visiting Bobcats took the initial lead, Sharma pulled CSUM even by scoring her team’s first goal.
Shortly thereafter, the Keelhaulers took the lead, thanks to Ryan Wallace, which held until the start of the second quarter.
As was the case earlier in the day, a Cal Maritime opponent pulled away before halftime since the Bobcats recorded seven of eight scored throughout the quarter — Meghan Abbott snapped UC Merced’s scoring run — to lead 8-3 at halftime.
Even though Olivia Larwood recorded CSUM’s final goal of the day, UCM’s second-quarter scoring outburst helped it pull away and record a 17-4 win.
The final round robin match involved Ottawa and UC Merced, a matchup won by the Spirit by a 14-8 result. With that victory, Ottawa University (AZ) clinched its spot in the NAIA Finals’ championship game and forced a 9 a.m. Sunday morning rematch between the Keelhaulers and Bobcats.
Whichever team loses that contest will end the weekend in Third Place; the winner will return to action and face OUAZ in the 12 p.m. championship match.
Release courtesy California State University Maritime Academy Athletics Communications
