Newport Harbor girls' water polo falls to Oaks Christian in CIF semifinal

The Sailors lost 12-9 in their sixth matchup of the season against the Lions.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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The Newport Harbor High girls' water polo team lost 12-9 to Oaks Christian in the CIF Southern Section Open Division semifinals on Wednesday night. This was the sixth time the teams had faced each other this season, with Oaks Christian winning the matchup that mattered most. Stanford-bound senior left-handed attacker Mia Fabros scored a match-high five goals for Oaks Christian, who will now advance to play top-seeded Mater Dei in the Open Division title match.

Why it matters

Newport Harbor had beaten Oaks Christian three times earlier this season, including in the Open Division group play last week. However, Oaks Christian was able to make the necessary adjustments to defeat the Sailors in the high-stakes semifinal match, ending Newport Harbor's hopes of a CIF championship.

The details

Oaks Christian was effective at limiting Newport Harbor's double-post offense, which had worked better in the teams' previous matchup. The Lions converted an impressive seven of 11 power-play opportunities, along with a pair of penalty shots. Fabros scored multiple six-on-five goals to lead the Oaks Christian offense.

  • The teams had met six times this season, including in the CIF Southern Section Open Division title match last year.
  • Wednesday night's semifinal match was played at Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine.

The players

Mia Fabros

A Stanford-bound senior left-handed attacker for Oaks Christian who scored a match-high five goals.

Gabby Alexson

A junior center for Newport Harbor who said the team was "pretty crushed" following the loss, which ended an 11-match winning streak.

Oaks Christian

The No. 3 seed who advances to play top-seeded Mater Dei in the Open Division title match.

Newport Harbor

The No. 2 seed whose season is not over, as they will compete in the CIF Southern California Regional championships next week.

Ross Sinclair

The Newport Harbor coach who said it's "tough to beat a team three times a row, and playing them for the sixth time" in the playoffs.

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What they’re saying

“It's definitely not a good feeling. It sucks. Our whole team is really emotional, because I think we were a team that could have won it all … We had a really special group this season.”

— Gabby Alexson, Newport Harbor junior center

“We changed our six-on-five a little bit and that kind of opened up [Fabros], and it worked out three times. It also gave her two opportunities to have assist passes. It was a six-on-five that we've looked at a lot. If you notice, we run the same six-on-five every single time. We were waiting for them to make a small adjustment and mistake, and we were seeing it prior to that. We worked on it, and we came away with it. Having seven for 11 is pretty amazing.”

— Jack Kocur, Oaks Christian coach

“They're familiar with us, the same way we're familiar with them. So, it's kind of hard when they go on a roll and they know how to capitalize on your weaknesses. I think we just lost it a little bit defensively there for a second, and unfortunately that cost us the game.”

— Sunny Brown, Newport Harbor senior goalkeeper

What’s next

A seventh matchup between Newport Harbor and Oaks Christian this season is possible in the CIF Southern California Regional championships next week.

The takeaway

This loss highlights the challenges of facing a familiar opponent multiple times in a season, especially in the high-stakes playoffs. Newport Harbor had beaten Oaks Christian earlier, but the Lions were able to make key adjustments to secure the victory that mattered most.