The562’s coverage of aquatic sports in Long Beach in 2025-26 is sponsored by Watersafe Swim School.
The CIF Southern Section released the 2026 playoff brackets for girls’ water polo on Friday, and five Moore League schools will get the chance to compete in the postseason starting next week.
All games are scheduled for a 5 p.m. start, but are subject to change. CLICK HERE to view the complete brackets on the CIF website.
Open Division
Leading the way are the reigning league champs from Wilson, who’ve earned a spot in the prestigious Open Division. The Bruins will have tough sledding ahead as the No. 8 seed, and they’ll be on the road for all three of their games in pool play.
Wilson is matched up with top-seeded Mater Dei, No. 4 seed Orange Lutheran, and No. 5 seed San Marcos from Santa Barbara in Pool A. The Bruins will play all three opponents during pool play in a round robin format, and the top three teams from each of the two pools will advance in the tournament.
The Bruins open up at Mater Dei on Wednesday, Feb. 4, then play at Orange Lutheran on Saturday, Feb. 7. Wilson then caps pool play the following Wednesday, Feb. 11, with a long trip up the coast to play at San Marcos.
This is the third consecutive season the Bruins have earned a spot in the Open Division.
Division 2
The Moore League runners-up from Millikan were given a home game in the first round on Thursday. The Rams will host Anaheim Canyon in their playoff opener. The Comanches are the No. 3 team out of the Crestview League.
The matchup will be a rematch from Millikan’s third game of the season on Nov. 19, a 12-6 victory for the Rams.
Division 4
Long Beach Poly will host their playoff opener on Thursday, welcoming in the Estancia Eagles from Costa Mesa.
Estancia enters the playoffs as champions of the Grove League, and this will be their second time facing the Jackrabbits. Back on Jan. 16, Poly earned a 6-3 victory over the Eagles.
Division 5
There are a pair of Moore League teams in the Division 5 bracket, and both were granted an at-large bid into the postseason.
The Cabrillo Jaguars are the No. 2 seed in the bracket and will host Mark Keppel on Thursday. If they can get past that opening round test, they might see a familiar opponent in round two.
In the adjacent matchup on the bracket, the Jordan Panthers are the only team heading out on the road in the first round. J-Town will be visiting Bolsa Grande, the second-place team out of the Coast League.
