Tournament matches were played at the Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach, California during December 1988.

[1] California defeated UCLA in the final, 14–11, to win their eighth national title.

Coached by Pete Cutino, the Golden Bears finished the season 33–3.

The tournament's leading scorer, with 12 goals, was Kyle Kopp from Long Beach State.

Arkansas–Little Rock, who appeared for the first time this year, was the first team from the Southern United States to qualify for the tournament.