Women’s Water Polo Downs La Salle 16-12 to Earn Day One Split at Bucknell Invitational

Saturday, February 14

Lewisburg, Pa.

11:20 a.m.

Bucknell University

Siena

Photo by: Isabelle Roes

Women’s Water Polo Downs La Salle 16-12 to Earn Day One Split at Bucknell Invitational

2/14/2026 8:16:00 PM | Women's Water Polo

LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell women's water polo team rode a big second-half surge to a 16-12 win over La Salle on Saturday evening to earn a split on the first day of the Bucknell Invitational at Kinney Natatorium. Earlier in the day, the Bison dropped a tight 13-11 verdict to Siena.

Olivia Hopper led the squad with seven goals on the day, four coming in the win over the Explorers. Sister Ashley Hopper tallied seven assists. The Bison showed off their depth, with 10 different players producing goals against La Salle and seven against Siena. Bucknell also shored up its 6v5 offense in the nightcap, going 6-for-10 after a 3-for-13 showing against the Saints earlier in the day.

Now 6-2 on the season, Bucknell will host Saint Francis in a CWPA contest at 9 a.m. on Sunday. The Red Flash fell to La Salle (11-9) and Villanova (16-11) on Saturday.

Bucknell 16, La Salle 12

Olivia Hopper scored four goals, while Bella Schraa, Addison Wedding, and Lin Naraoka scored twice apiece to lead the Bison to the win over the Explorers.

Bucknell trailed 2-1 early before scoring four straight goals in a span of just 1:40 to take the lead for good. The last three in that run came 6v5, with Wedding finishing a feed from Ashley Hopper to make it a 5-2 game.

The Bison still led by three at 7-4 after an Olivia Hopper 6v5 goal at the 4:51 mark of the second quarter, however three missed 5-meter attempts later in the period helped La Salle stay in the game. Samara Eschleman's redirect in front of goal pulled the visitors within 7-6, but two goals in the last 31 seconds of the half were big for the Bison.

Olivia Hopper spotted Olivia Garcia on the back post for a goal, and then in transition after a defensive stop, Campbell Collins made a great lead pass ahead to Olivia Hopper for a goal with one second left on the clock.

Whitney Wood opened the second-half scoring to bring La Salle within 9-7, but the Bison took control with a 5-1 run that stretched into the fourth quarter. The key exchange came late in the third with Bucknell leading 11-8, when Tamara Torkos made a clutch save on Wood's 5-meter attempt. That kept the lead at three, and then in the final minute Wedding and Schraa hit the back of the net to make it 13-8.

Torkos made three close-range saves in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter – she blocked 13 shots on the night -- and then Schraa scored off a Collins feed to give the Bison a commanding 14-8 lead. Naraoka and Rosemary Schmidt added goals to make it 16-10 with 2:41 to play, and La Salle tacked on two consolation tallies to make the final 16-12.

Siena 13, Bucknell 11

Bucknell's tournament opener was a tightly contested affair that featured eight ties and three lead changes, and the largest lead for either side was just two goals.

The Bison scored the game's first two goals and led 3-1 after a Britta Coultas 5-meter penalty shot early in the second quarter. Schraa scored twice in the hole to break ties later in the period, but Siena was dangerous in transition and rallied to a take a 6-5 lead on Lucia Fernandez Caballelo's goal with just a tenth of a second left before intermission.

Hedstrom put back a rebound and Garcia scored off a pass back from Caitlin Stott to give Bucknell the lead back at 7-6 midway through the third quarter, but Siena tallied three in a row to go up 9-7 early in the fourth.

Kenzi Shaw got hot for the Bison, scoring first from the 5-meter line and then from the left flank off a nice skip pass from Garcia to make it 9-9 with 4:19 to go. Olivia Hopper scored a pair of tying goals just over a minute apart, one on a 6v5 and another just after an exclusion expired. The latter strike made it 11-11 with 2:19 to go, but Catherine Williamson quickly gave the Saints the lead back with a shot from the hole.

Schraa had one shot blocked by a defender in tight and another saved with 38 seconds remaining, and Siena tacked on an insurance goal with the Bison pressing with nine seconds remaining.

Olivia Hopper led the Bison with three goals, while Ashley Hopper and Garcia both tallied three assists. Torkos logged nine saves in goal.