CLAREMONT, Calif. - Valerie Wraith and Grace Clark each had four goals as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's water polo team defeated Whittier 19-6 in a SCIAC conference match at Axelrood Aquatics Center. 

With the win, CMS improves to 15-9 on the season and moves its SCIAC record to 10-1, securing its hold on second place in the league standings. Whittier slips to 2-8 in SCIAC play with the loss.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps opened the match with two quick goals in the first period by Wraith at 6:59 and Clark at 6:36, establishing an early lead. The Poets responded with goals from Paula Fernandez and a penalty shot by Haley Kivett, leveling the score briefly, before Elise Power's consecutive goals, at 3:05 and 2:18, put CMS back ahead.

The second period saw a dominant performance by CMS, with five unanswered goals, including two from Caitlin Muñoz, bringing the score to 9-3. Whittier managed to add a goal through Paula Fernandez at 3:10, but CMS maintained control with another goal from Power.

In the third period, Wraith and Jordan LaCour each scored twice, extending CMS's lead significantly. The final period saw CMS solidify their victory with three more goals, including two from Clark, concluding with a commanding 19-6 win. 

Dara Schoolcraft and Isabel Del Villar each tallied four assists to go along with three assists. Power and LaCour each had hat tricks, while Caitlin Muñoz had a notable impact with three goals, an assist, and two sprint wins.

CMS will be back in action on Wednesday when it travels to Redlands, before closing out the regular season at home against Occidental on Saturday, April 19.