MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's water polo team fell 18-7 to Fresno Pacific University in the 2024 home opener on Saturday morning.

The Bobcats (1-2) seven goals were tied for their most ever against a NCAA opponent.

Hope Stokes, who had a program-record 14 saves in the cage last time out, played in the field today and recorded a hat trick highlighted by two second half goals.

Claudette Asenjo, Liberty Hamilton and Aislyn Sorsky scored a goal for the third consecutive game. Melanie Torres also deposited a shot into the back of the net.

Carlin Rodelo recorded seven saves in her first start of the season.

FPU was led by 2023 CWPA Division II All-American Tatum Benson's four-goal performance and she was one of four Sunbirds overall with a multi-goal game.

Benson scored first to begin a 6-0 Sunbirds run over the entirety of the first quarter.

Sorsky got the Bobcats on the board 90 seconds into the second quarter. Stokes also scored in the second quarter, but FPU scored five goals in the frame and they carried an 11-2 lead into halftime.

UC Merced and FPU traded 3-0 scoring runs to start the second half. FPU's run was first to build their lead to a match-high 12 goals before Asenjo scored on a power play for the first of three consecutive UC Merced goals. Overall, UC Merced drew nine FPU exclusions. The Bobcats 3-0 run that stretched into the fourth quarter also saw a goal scored by Stokes and Torres to make it a 14-5 game.

The Bobcats trailed 16-5 with four minutes to play but kept fighting and got the deficit to single digits again after Stokes completed her hat trick and Hamilton buried a shot into the back of the net.

FPU scored the final two goals of the game to finish off their 18-7 win.

Up next, UC Merced will play Cal State East Bay and #16 University of the Pacific at the Aggie Invite in Davis, Calif., on Saturday, February 10. The Bobcats first match of the day is scheduled to begin at 12:30pm.