Saturday, March 16
Honolulu, HI
9:00 PM
USC
at
Hawai'i
Players Mentioned
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
D
/ Women's Water Polo
2M
/ Women's Water Polo
2M
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
D
/ Women's Water Polo
2M
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
D
/ Women's Water Polo
2M
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water Polo
2M
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
Photo by: Catharyn Hayne
No. 1 USC Hits Hawai'i For Training Trip and Spring Break Showdown
March 13, 2019 | Women's Water Polo, Features
Top-ranked Trojans will take on the No. 5 Rainbow Wahine on Saturday night in Honolulu.
THIS WEEK
The top-ranked Women of Troy have packed up their 35-game win streak to set up camp in Hawai'i for a training trip capped off by a matchup against the Rainbow Wahine. No. 1 USC (19-0) will face off against No. 5 Hawai'i (12-3) at 6 p.m. HT on Saturday (March 16) at Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex in Honolulu, Hawai'i.Â
Â
Â
USC IN THE RANKINGS
USC kicked off 2019 ranked No. 1 in the national preseason poll and selected at No. 1 in the MPSF preseason poll. As of the Week 9 rankings, the Trojans remain at No. 1 in the land.
Â
Â
SCOUTING UH
The No. 5 Rainbow Wahine are 12-3 overall after beating UC Davis 13-9 and falling to California 10-9 last week. Irene Gonzalez is Hawai'i's top scorer with 41 goals to date, while goalie Bridget Layburn is averaging 8.34 saves and 7.43 goals-against per game in her 13 appearances. USC is 45-3 all-time against the Rainbow Wahine with wins in the last 23 meetings after netting two wins last year — 12-7 in Los Angeles and 9-5 in Honolulu.
Â
Â
LAST ACTION
USC added two more wins to its count last week, beating UC Irvine 11-5 on the road before notching a 22-8 MPSF win over San José State in Los Angeles. In the Anteaters' home pool, USC shrugged off an early tie and poured out four unanswered goals to take control. USC opened up in a 1-0 hole as UC Irvine got to the back of the net first, but the Trojans fired back with Bayley Weber, Denise Mammolito and Mireia Guiral rattling the cage to get USC back on top by the end of the first. The Anteaters leveled things with two early goals next, prompting USC to dig in again. After Courtney Fahey earned a power play for the Trojans, Grace Tehaney delivered the go-ahead goal, followed by another bullet from Mammolito and another power play finish from Alejandra Aznar to go up 6-3. The hosts would get a 5-meter penalty shot to go before halftime, and it was a 6-4 USC lead at the break. In the third, USC roared to four unanswered goals — with Tilly Kearns, Paige Hauschild, Maud Megens and Elise Stein getting on the scoresheet to build out a 10-4 USC lead entering the fourth. There, UC Irvine struck early, but USC got a second blast from Weber and a couple nice final saves from goalie Amanda Longan to wrap up an 11-5 USC victory. Back in home waters the next day, USC rang up its 35th consecutive victory with a solid win over the visiting Spartans. Megens rattled in six goals for the Trojan cause in the win, jumping up to rank No. 15 all-time in career scoring at USC with 141 goals to date. USC tacked up the first five goals of the game, with a Trojan youth movement fueling the opening stretch as freshman Kearns struck first, followed by a pair of goals from fellow freshman Aznar wrapped around a 6-on-5 finish from sophomore Hauschild. Megens would make it 5-0 on her first of an eventual six goals on the day before San José State broke through out of two meters. Elise Stein and Fahey would add to the Trojan tally by the close of the first, giving USC a 7-1 lead. Six USC goals would pour out in the second frame, as Weber, Guiral and Tehaney also joined the scoresheet while Hauschild, Megens and Stein added to their counts. Up 13-3 by halftime, USC made a goalie change, with Holly Parker spelling senior Amanda Longan, who had made four saves in her two periods of work. Parker would match that count in her second half of action, while USC continued to pad out their lead over the Spartans. While Megens worked her way up the USC career charts with four more goals in the second half, Weber would hit a hat trick in taking an assist from Fahey early in the fourth. By that time, Fahey already had tallied two of her own, and Mammolito had drilled her first. Weber's third of the day sparked a four-goal USC surge in the fourth, with Kelsey McIntosh's 6-on-5 blast making it 22-7 Trojans with two minutes to go. San José State had a power play finish of their own soon after, and the game would round out with the Trojans gripping a 22-8 win.
Â
Â
BKI CHAMPS
USC stayed perfect on the year with a winning run to the 2019 Barbara Kalbus Invitational championship in late February. The Trojans opened up with a 13-5 win over San Diego State before wrapping group play with a 7-1 win over Arizona State. In the semifinals, USC had a tighter contest in a meeting with Cal, but the Trojans pulled out the 9-8 win to move into the title match. Up against Stanford in a rematch of last year's NCAA final, USC was again up to the test, making a late rally in the fourth and holding off the Cardinal for a 10-8 victory that kept the Trojans' win streak intact .
Â
Â
SWEEPS WEEK (PART 1)
USC made it a sweep of the MPSF weekly honor roll after standout performances at the Triton Invitational. Picking up her first career award as a Trojan was freshman Alejandra Aznar, who was named MPSF Newcomer of the Week. Senior goalie Amanda Longan, meanwhile, secured her third career pick as MPSF Player of the Week. Aznar scored in all four games in USC's run to the Triton Invitational championship, accumulating six goals at the tourney. Longan had three consecutive double-digit save efforts in USC's run to the Triton Invitational. Along the way, Longan registered seven shutout periods of work. In the opener vs. Pomona-Pitzer, Longan had three saves and allowed no goals in her one half of action in the 15-4 win. Against No. 13 LMU, Longan had 10 saves in three periods in the cage. On the final day, Longan's dominance grew greater. She collected a season-high 14 saves in a 10-3 win over Michigan in the semifinal before making 11 stops against UCLA to help beat the Bruins 10-3 and claim the tournament crown for the sixth straight year.
Â
Â
SWEEPS WEEK (PART 2)
USC locked up its second sweep of the MPSF's weekly honors as Maud Megens picked up her second MPSF Player of the Week award of the year and Bayley Weber had her first career selection as MPSF Newcomer of the Week on Feb. 26. Both Trojans were key forces in USC's run to the 2019 Barbara Kalbus Invitational championship.
Megens delivered six goals at the invite, with a hat trick in a 9-8 semifinal win over Cal and two goals in the 10-8 title match victory over Stanford. It was is Megens' second MPSF Player of the Week pick this year and fourth overall. Freshman Weber scored four goals, including two in the semifinal win over Cal and one in the championship victory over Stanford at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational. A force on the defensive end as well, Weber got a key steal early against Cal and took it the other way for an early USC lead in the semis. It's Weber's first career award as a Trojan.
Â
Â
CLIMB ON
As the 2019 season chugs along, the Trojans already have players climbing the career charts. With her fifth goal at the UCSB Winter Invitational, junior Maud Megens tallied her 100th career goal as a Trojan on Jan. 18. Megens now ranks No. 15 all-time at USC in scoring with 141 career goals — two goals shy of jumping three Trojans and taking over sole possession of the No. 12 spot. On the defensive end, senior goalie Amanda Longan entered her senior season ranked No. 3 all-time at USC in career saves. She'd haul in a career-high 19 saves in USC's season opener to tally the second most single-game saves by a Trojan. The next week, she collected her fourth career complete-game shutout, The senior now grips 727 career saves — still a bit of a stretch away from the No. 2 all-time tally of 838 held by Longan's fellow Cutino-winning goalie Bernice Orwig. Also on the rise in the career charts are Paige Hauschild and Denise Mammolito, who are both nearing the century mark with 96 and 93 goals, respectively, to date.
Â
Â
BY THE NUMBERS
Now 19 games into 2019, USC has outscored opponents 282-70. Junior Maud Megens is the Trojans' top scorer to date with 46 goals. Behind her on the 2019 scoresheet sits sophomore Paige Hauschild with 28 goals and true freshman Alejandra Aznar and with 26. They're followed by freshmen Bayley Weber (24) and Tilly Kearns (23) and juniors Denise Mammolito (22) and Kelsey McIntosh (20). On the defensive end, two goalies have checked into the cage to date. Senior Amanda Longan has logged minutes in 16 games, averaging 11.01 saves and 3.55 goals-against per game. She also boasts the second most single-game saves by a Trojan, having made a career-high 19 stops vs. Cal Baptist on Jan. 19. In all this year, Longan has recorded eight outings with double-digit saves. Redshirt sophomore Holly Parker has stepped in in nine games, averaging 8.0 saves and 4.0 goals-against per game to date while also claiming a career-high 10-save day. The Trojan defense has rendered opponents silent in at least one period of play in 15 games while accumulating a grand total of 33 shutout periods this season so far, including back-to-back complete-game shutouts. Overall, USC is averaging 14.84 goals per game on the offensive end and is allowing just 3.68 goals-against per game defensively.Â
Â
Â
BACK-TO-BACK BATTLE
For almost a decade now, there's been a fierce title tug-of-war between two teams. The claim to the NCAA women's water polo championship has gone to either USC or Stanford for the past nine seasons. For every tug in the Trojan direction — there's been four titles won by USC in that stretch — the Cardinal have grabbed ahold the next year. At the end of the line this season is a chance for the USC women to do what they've never done before — to claim back-to-back national championships.Â
Â
Â
ON YOUR LEFT
A spring addition to the Trojan roster, Alejandra Aznar's presence bumps USC's set of left-handed shooters to four, with fellow freshman Grace Tehaney also wielding a deft left hand, while returning lefties Verica Bakoc and Sabrina Garabet are already proven sharpshooters. USC's lefties have combined for 57 goals — 20 percent of the Trojans' team total.
Â
Â
SET DEPTH
USC has also brought in reinforcements at 2-meters. The Trojans now have three true centers at the ready in newcomers Mireia Guiral and Tilly Kearns and sophomore Nina Ceklic. Courtney Fahey and Kaylee Brownsberger also were in the mix at set last year.
Â
Â
PERIMETER POWER
A powerful presence at set can open up the perimeter, where USC's top guns are ready to strike. Paige Hauschild was USC's top scorer last year, followed by Denise Mammolito, who is now a junior. Fellow junior Maud Megens also is back, standing out as one of the most dangerous scorers in the world. That trio alone has combined for a third of USC's goal scoring to date.Â
Â
Â
GETTING DEFENSIVE
On the opposite side of the pool, Vavic also has increasing confidence. No doubt that Cutino Award winner Amanda Longan looms large as arguably the best goalie in collegiate waters. She has two rising proteges alongside her in redshirt sophomore Holly Parker and freshman Erin Tharp. That trio will back up what is becoming a strong defensive corps, where Paige Hauschild has already proven herself as a relentless defender. So, too, do freshmen Bayley Weber and Mireia Guiral stand to make a defensive impact alongside returning defensive-savvy Trojans Randi Reinhardt and Denise Mammolito.
Â
Â
SEASON OPENER
Against Cal Baptist in the Trojans' 2019 season opener, USC tacked up the first five goals of the game — all from the hands of newcomers. The first goal of the year came from Mireia Guiral, whose fellow Spaniard Alejandra Aznar drilled three goals in that 5-0 start. Fellow freshman Grace Tehaney also got to the back of the net in that surge before another freshman — Bayley Weber scored her first of a first-period hat trick to help USC along to a 10-2 lead after eight minutes of action. That 10th goal was also served up by a fresh face in Tilly Kearns, while the final two of the day came from new Trojans as well. Freshmen Sophia Lucas and Claire Haas would tally their first career USC goals in their first appearances in Cardinal and Gold to get in on the winning start to 2019. Aznar finished up with five goals to lead the pack, while junior Maud Megens plugged in four. Freshmen Tehaney and Weber had a hat trick apiece in that opening win over Cal Baptist.
Â
Â
2019 TROJANS AT A GLANCE
The 2019 Trojans opened the season picked No. 1 in the MPSF Preseason Poll and No. 1 in the nation. In USC's arsenal for 2019 are the MPSF Player and Newcomer of the Year in Amanda Longan and Paige Hauschild, not to mention MPSF and National Coach of the Year Jovan Vavic, who is at the helm of the USC program for the 25th season. Both Longan and Hauschild were First Team All-Americans, while Longan also reigned supreme as the Peter J. Cutino Award winner. USC also boasts two more All-Americans in juniors Denise Mammolito and Maud Megens, who further highlight a grand total of 11 returning Trojans who were on the NCAA Championship-winning roster in 2018. Gone are three All-Americans who took with them two NCAA championship rings in Brianna Daboub, Victória Chamorro and Hayley McKelvey, but Vavic has great faith in the power of his returners — and his new crop of Trojan talent. USC has three new international players capped up for their first action as Trojans this year, along with a set of talented California products who stand out in the Trojan freshman class. Australian import Tilly Kearns is joined by Spaniards Alejandra Aznar and Mireia Guiral as the newest Women of Troy. That trio along with U.S. Junior National Team members Grace Tehaney and Bayley Weber add a fresh depth charge to the USC gameplan. The 2019 Women of Troy are captained by seniors Longan and Courtney Fahey, who have been members of USC's 2016 and 2018 NCAA Championship teams.
Â
Â
LAST SEASON
With USC's 16th straight win of 2018, the Trojans claimed the university's 105th NCAA team championship and the sixth for the USC women's water polo program on a 5-4 victory over Stanford in USC's home pool. It was the Trojans' second NCAA title in three years, and gave USC a final 26-1 overall record. It was head coach Jovan Vavic's 15th national championship as a head coach at USC, with six titles won by the USC women and nine by the USC men — all under Vavic's watch. USC had gone 5-0 in MPSF play and won the MPSF Tournament title along the way to get the top seed into the NCAA tourney. Junior goalie Amanda Longan and freshman Paige Hauschild were both named finalists for the Peter J. Cutino Award, with Longan emerging as the winner of the prestigious award to become the second USC goalie and the seventh Woman of Troy to win it. Both Longan and Hauschild earned First Team All-America honors, along with sophomore Maud Megens. Senior Brianna Daboub earned a spot on the All-America Second Team, with fellow senior Hayley McKelvey on the Third Team. Sophomore Denise Mammolito picked up All-America Honorable Mention. Longan was also the National Player of the Year, with Jovan Vavic named National Coach of the Year. •
USC Water Polo's Emily Ausmus | Trojans Live 3.24.25
Monday, March 24
Women's Water Polo - Stanford 8, USC 3: Highlights (5/10/24)
Friday, May 10
Julia Janov - 2024 NCAA Women's Water Polo Banquet speech
Thursday, May 09
Women's Water Polo - Stanford 12, USC 11: Highlights (4/28/24)
Sunday, April 28
