The Silver Anniversary of UCLA Claiming First NCAA Women’s Water Polo Crown
By Alex Ellison
There was an overwhelming level of excitement at Stanford’s Avery Aquatic Center on May 13, 2001. Stanford and UCLA were tied 4-4 with just 1:28 left on the clock when UCLA’s Coralie Simmons broke free to go one-on-one against Jackie Frank in the net. Simmons made at least five fakes, then netted the game-winning goal that made the Bruins the first NCAA national champions in women’s water polo history.
Simmons can still see her historic goal, even now.
“Going against Jackie Frank in the cage was not an easy feat,” she said. “I remember to this day having to be very meticulous with what I should do with the ball in that moment.”
Even the runners-up have fond memories.
“It was pretty awesome to be on that initial NCAA-sanctioned team and finally be part of an NCAA tournament,” said Stanford’s Ellen Estes Lee. “To be able to compete at home was an added bonus.”
Since it was the first championship held after the Olympic debut of women’s water polo at the 2000 Sydney Games, UCLA head coach Adam Krikorian explained, “there was this wave of momentum building, and an excitement that made it feel different.”
The Stanford pool that day was filled with talent. There were Olympians and future Olympians on both sides: UCLA’s Simmons, Robin Beauregard, Jaime Hipp, Natalie Benson, Thalia Munro (Ormsby), and Kelly Heuchan, while Stanford’s roster included Frank, Estes Lee, Brenda Villa, and Margie Dingeldein.
“It was essentially me and my Stanford teammates from the national team versus my UCLA teammates from the national team,” said Estes Lee. “It was kind of odd to go from competing together (in Sydney) to competing against each other a few months later.”
At the end of the championship game, Simmons was named Most Valuable Player and All-Tournament First Team along with teammates Beauregard and Heuchan. Stanford’s All-Tournament First Team included Frank, Estes Lee, and Villa.
Back in that era, defense often dictated outcomes, so the 5-4 scoreline was not as rare as it is today. The two goalkeepers, Frank and Hipp, anchored a tightly-contested match in which every possession mattered.
Since the inaugural NCAA championship was also on the line, coach Krikorian said, “there were some extra nerves and that tends to lend itself to a defensive battle.”
Going into the game, UCLA was the defending national champion from 2000 (the final year before NCAA sponsorship) but Stanford was favored to win because it had an undefeated season and had beaten the Bruins four times.
The Bruins relished the underdog role, however, and Krikorian quoted the Houston Rockets’ NBA head coach, Rudy Tomjanovich, in his team pregame speech, saying, “Don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion.”
Krikorian had also tried to inspire the Bruins earlier in the season when he took the squad to visit the Avery Aquatic Center while it was under scaffolding and hadn’t officially opened. He had his team stand on the pool deck and visualize returning for the NCAA championship game.
When May 13 finally arrived, UCLA fifth-year senior Simmons reminded her teammates there was only one game that mattered now and it was a chance to wipe the slate clean.
Plus, Simmons said, “I did not want to be second on the podium (again) after the Olympics” where the U.S. lost to Australia in the last 1.3 seconds of the gold-medal game.
“I love my silver medal, but…,” Simmons said, and then recalled how UCLA took an early lead in the NCAA title game. “We got (Stanford) in an uncomfortable space since they were used to leading and dictating the game. Probably rattled them a bit…so we were in a good spot where we felt like we had nothing to lose.”
Thanks to Simmons’ heroic shot, she and the Bruins reached the top of the podium and celebrated with their former teammates in the stands whose blue wigs stood out in a sea of Stanford red.
Since that day in May 25 years ago, the women’s game has grown tremendously.
There are now more opportunities than ever for athletes to start young, including programs like Splashball, which wasn’t around when Estes Lee was growing up. “I didn’t find (the sport) until I was 14 and in high school,” she said. “I have been happy to see the growth of clubs, especially in the Northern California area.”
Estes Lee’s two children discovered water polo before they turned 10. Her daughter, Vivian, played on the Stanford 14U team and her son, Henry, plays for San Mateo Aquatics Club (SMAC), established in 2023.
As for Simmons, she hopes the growth continues.
“It’s amazing,” Simmons said, “how far the sport has come in such a short period of time,” adding that increased exposure has led to “a gradual growth but a healthy growth.”
Krikorian, now head coach of U.S. women’s national team, said the mission isn’t over.
“It’s been an honor to be a part of it all,” he said looking back, but “we have to continue to build the sport to make it even better 25 years from now – and an even bigger part of the athletic community. That’s what all of us involved should be tasked with doing.”