No. 2 seed UCLA (24-2, 5-1 MPSF) will have the opportunity to protect the national title starting Friday at Avery Aquatic Center in Palo Alto, California.

The Bruins are one win away from the next chapter.
But before the championship bracket opens, the road back to a national title begins with a familiar postseason rhythm: a long layoff, a corrective training stretch and an opening round opponent built to test composure.

This post was updated Nov. 29 at 6:04 p.m.
It was a rematch a year in the making.
The Trojans vanquished the Bruins in last year’s MPSF championship match in a three-point affair.

Just on the other side of the parking lot, the Golden Bears prowled into the den of red and green trees in a Bay Area football rivalry showdown.

No. 1 UCLA (22-1, 5-1 MPSF) begins its postseason campaign with the MPSF Championship at Avery Aquatic Center in Stanford, California. The Bruins have been the MPSF’s best regular-season team for three consecutive years but failed to win the tournament title after falling to No.

Perhaps the result reflects what was expected.
Perhaps it was nearly a guarantee, given the circumstances.
And perhaps the focus is on future matches.
Nonetheless, the Bruins rose to the occasion.

Many teams that claim the title of national champion often do the same for their conference championship.
But the Bruins are in the minority.
The reigning national champions, No.