MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine Swim & Dive ended its regular season on a high note this afternoon with a win against Azusa Pacific, 167–122. The Waves won 12 of 14 events, with the day belonging to the seniors who were celebrated throughout the day.
"Today we celebrated an end of an era for Pepperdine Swim & Dive," said interim head coach Dan Marella. "We celebrated our Class of 2026, which holds 13 swimmers and divers. I could not be more proud of these strong and confident women."
The day began with a ceremony at 10 a.m. that recognized the achievements and dedication of the 13 graduating seniors. The athletes were accompanied by family and friends on the pool deck.
Dive went first to start competition. Of the field of seven, the five Waves divers occupied the top five spots in each event's standings. Freshman Jackie Johnson claimed the top spot in the one (283.80) and 3-meter (280.13). Vivian Vallely was the top senior in both events, earning both runner-up spots behind Johnson.
Swim started their dominance with a gold in the 200 medley relay. Senior Kylie Taylor led-off the group, followed by the freshmen trio of Ava Taylor, Aliyah Fan, and Maile Sullivan (1:46.37).
Next was the 1000 free, which Ansley Halbach took at 10:39.39. The top fourth-year in the event was Lexi Haymart, who stopped the timer at 11:13.00.
Aliyah Fan was the fastest swimmer for the blue and orange in the 200 free (1:56.91). The result was the same for her in the 100 fly (57.65) to pick up a gold in two different strokes.
The older Fan—Kiana, also picked up a first-place finish. She swam to success in the 200 breast (2:22.07).
On her own, senior Kylie Taylor emerged victorious in the 100 back (58.52).
In the 100 breast, Ava Taylor swam to first with a time of 1:06.53. Emme Spevak gave the Waves their sixth top finish in as many events. She clocked a 2:08.51 in the 200 fly.
The team's two MPSF Female Athlete of the Week winners were next to put another tally in the win column. Maile Sullivan took the 100 free (52.83) and Sophia Blietz did the same in the 200 back (2:06.72).
Emma Guglielmello went far in the 500 free. The distance specialist recorded a time of 5:11.97. Saskia Jager was the top fourth-year in the event (5:15.48).
The last victory of the day came in the 400 free relay. Although the day was dedicated to the seniors, the Wave's youth movement was on display as Maile Sullivan, Paige Easton, Aliyah Fan, and Ava Taylor took first (3:32.96). The senior entourage of Elliot Easton, Maddie McLeay, AJ Adams, and Anna Ryan took third.
Down in lane seven, the divers decided to take a crack at the event too. Ava Langheim, Amanda Wong, Delainey Pisaruk, and Vivian Vallely each took a lap in the pool to close out their careers at Raleigh Runnels in a memorable way. They went an unscored 200 yards in 2:12.02.
Prior to their final individual event at home each Pepperdine senior was recognized by the public address announcer. The athletes stood on their block and looked across the glistening water—the thunderous applause of their teammates, family, friends, and fans echoing out.
Pepperdine's full results are accessible here.
NEXT UP
The Waves begin postseason competition a month from now in Edinburg, Texas. The MPSF Swimming & Diving Championships kick-off Feb. 25.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE SWIM AND DIVE
Pepperdine swimming & diving has a rich history spanning four decades, having posted top-five finishes in its conference in 32 of 39 seasons. The Waves have captured three conference championships in the past four seasons, its first three conference titles, winning its first MPSF Championship in 2025 after joining the conference the season prior. In 38 seasons in the PCSC, the Waves saw 48 individual champions and 20 PCSC Swimmer or Diver of the Year awards. Andreea Trufasu stands as the program's lone Olympian, having competed in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
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