Friday, April 26
Stanford, CA
11:00 AM
USC
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Indiana
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Photo by: Kym Mammolito
No. 2 USC Aims For A Sixth MPSF Tournament Title
April 24, 2019 | Women's Water Polo, Features
WEEKLY RELEASE (PDF)2019 MPSF TOURNAMENT CENTRALLIVE STATSFRIDAY/SATURDAY LIVE STREAMS ($$$)SUNDAY PAC-12 NETWORKS LIVE STREAM
Trojans head north to set their postseason course first toward defense of 2018 conference crown.
2019 MPSF Tournament
Avery Aquatics Center (Palo Alto, Calif.)
Friday, April 26
Game 1: [2] USC vs. [7] Indiana — 11 a.m.
Game 2: [3] UCLA vs. [6] Arizona State — 12:45 p.m.
Game 3: [4] California vs. [5] San José State — 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 27
Game 4: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser — 11 a.m.
Semi 1: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner — 12:45 p.m.
Semi 2: [1] Stanford vs. Game 3 winner — 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 28Â
Fifth Place: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner — 11 a.m.
Third Place — 1 p.m.
Championship — 3 p.m.
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THIS WEEK
USC now levels its gaze at postseason play, lined up for a trip to Palo Alto to take its spot as the No. 2 seed in this year's MPSF Tournament. Up for grabs is the automatic berth in the coming NCAA Tournament, which also will be hosted by Stanford. The No. 2-ranked Trojans (23-1) open up this week's conference tourney with a quarterfinal bout against MPSF newcomer and No. 7 seed Indiana at 11 a.m. on Friday (April 26) at Stanford's Avery Aquatics Complex. A win there would send USC on to the semifinals against either No. 3 seeded UCLA or No. 6 seed Arizona State at 12:45 p.m. on Saturday (April 27). USC will be looking to defend its 2018 MPSF crown if the Trojans are able to lock in a spot in the 2019 title match, set for 3 p.m. on Sunday (April 27). The third-place game will be held at 1 p.m. that day. All of Friday and Saturday's games will be streamed for-purchase by the MPSF. Sunday's third-place and championship games will be televised on Pac-12 Networks.
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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. USC remained at No. 1 until a March 30 loss to Stanford snapped a 36-game win streak and pushed the Trojans to No. 2 in the nation the following week. As of this week's April 24 rankings release, USC remains at No. 2.
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MPSF RUNDOWN
Now a seven-team conference, the MPSF has slightly adjusted its tournament structure for 2019, which will be held at Avery Aquatics Center in Palo Alto, Calif. Top-seeded Stanford has earned a bye into the semifinals, while the other six teams have quarterfinals lined up for opening day. The seedings shake out with host Stanford (19-1) as the No. 1 seed, followed by No. 2 USC (23-1), No. 3 UCLA (21-5), No. 4 California (15-6), No. 5 San José State (10-13), No. 6 Arizona State (12-11) and No. 7 Indiana (6-15).
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THIS TIME LAST YEAR
USC was the top seed in last year's MPSF Tournament, carrying an 11-game win streak and a 21-1 overall record into the 2018 tournament hosted by Cal. As the top seed, USC had a first-round bye and would square off with No. 4 seed UCLA in the semifinals, where the Trojans had their underclassmen explode on the offensive end to anchor a 13-10 win. Headlined by 2018 MPSF Newcomer of the Year Paige Hauschild's five goals, USC's freshmen and sophomores accounted for 11 Trojan goals. On the defensive end, goalie Amanda Longan — the 2018 MPSF Player of the Year — collected 13 saves in under four periods of work. The next day, against No. 2 seed Stanford in the title match, USC would beat the Cardinal 13-12 in overtime to claim the Trojans' fifth MPSF Tournament crown. Tied 10 times in regulation, the Trojans and Cardinal had the score snarled even at the end of each period, locked up at 11-11 after four periods of work to bring up OT. In the first overtime stretch, USC's Hayley McKelvey punched in her fourth goal of the game before Hauschild added her first to lift USC ahead 13-11. Stanford would get one to go in the next OT frame, but staunch Trojan defense thwarted the Cardinal's attempts to equalize while goalie Longan made three saves in the last three minutes to help secure the title for the Trojans. At the close of the tourney, sophomore Maud Megens would be named MPSF Tournament MVP, while Paige Hauschild, Amanda Longan and Hayley McKelvey secured spots on the MPSF All-Tournament Team. USC would go on to get the top seed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, where the host Trojans would claim their sixth national championship after beating Wagner 12-5 in the quarterfinals and UCLA 13-10 in the semis before posting a 5-4 win over Stanford in the 2019 title match.
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LAST ACTION
USC crafted a four-goal lead and fended off host No. 3 UCLA down the stretch to capture a 9-8 road win in the Trojans' regular-season finale. Behind a season-high four goals from Paige Hauschild —including the sophomore's 100th career goal — and 12 saves from goalie Amanda Longan, USC proved up to the test in locking up their sixth straight win over crosstown rival UCLA. USC would lead by four goals during the second periodand again by four on Hauschild's third consecutive goal, which came early in the fourth. After going up 9-5, USC saw the Bruins work back in, cutting it to 9-8 with just over two minutes to go. Longan came up with several key saves in the final stretch, and USC would hold on for the rivalry win.
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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. After the winning run, 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. 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.
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THREE SWEEPS WEEKS
(Say that 10 times fast!) To date, USC has compiled five MPSF Player of the Week selections and five MPSF Newcomer of the Week honors. Three times, the Trojans have swept the weekly awards. Junior Maud Megens has laid claim to three Player of the Week picks, while freshman Bayley Weber leads the conference with three Newcomer of the Week selections. Fellow freshman Alejandra Aznar has snagged the award twice. Meanwhile, senior goalie Amanda Longan and sophomore Paige Hauschild have each secured a MPSF Player of the Week award this year.
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CLIMB ON
As the 2019 postseason approaches, the Trojans continue to see 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. 11 all-time at USC in scoring with 155 career goals. 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 784 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. Hauschild cracked the 100-goal zone with her first of four against UCLA on April 20, now holding 103 career goals. Mammolito, meanwhile, is just two away from the century mark, gripping 98 to date.
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BY THE NUMBERS
Now 24 games into 2019, USC has outscored opponents 336-101. Maud Megens is the Trojans' top scorer to date with 60 goals — bettering her freshman season production of 58. Behind Megens on the 2019 scoresheet sits Paige Hauschild with 35 goals and Alejandra Aznar with 31. They're followed by Kelsey McIntosh (28), Tilly Kearns (27), Bayley Weber (27) and Denise Mammolito (27), while freshman Mireia Guiral is also in the 20-goal zone. On the defensive end, two goalies have checked into the cage to date. Senior Amanda Longan has logged minutes in 21 games, averaging 11.2 saves and 4.2 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 11 outings with double-digit saves. Redshirt sophomore Holly Parker has stepped in in 11 games, averaging 8.3 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 19 games while accumulating a grand total of 38 shutout periods this season so far, including back-to-back complete-game shutouts. Overall, USC is averaging 14.0 goals per game on the offensive end and is allowing just 4.2 goals-against per game defensively. The Trojan defense leads the MPSF.
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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
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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 67 goals — 20 percent of the Trojans' team total.
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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. Freshmen Guiral and Kearns have tag-teamed at 2-meters for a combined 47 goals to date.
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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 more than a third of USC's goal scoring to date.Â
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GETTING DEFENSIVE
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. That duo backs 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.
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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.
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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. 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 USC has added three new international players, 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.
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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
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Friday, May 10
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Women's Water Polo - Stanford 12, USC 11: Highlights (4/28/24)
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