Saturday, March 9
Los Angeles, Calif.
2:00 PM
USC
vs
St. Francis (PA)
Players Mentioned
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
C
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
C
/ Women's Water Polo
DEF
/ Women's Water Polo
C
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
DEF
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
2M
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
C
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
Photo by: Nicole Hourigan
No. 5 USC Women’s Water Polo Splashes Down For Saturday Home Opener
March 06, 2024 | Women's Water Polo
Trojans host Saint Francis at 2 p.m. at Uytengsu Aquatics Center.
THIS WEEK
No. 5 USC is finally splashing down for competition in home water this week. The Trojans' home opener presents the first-ever meeting between USC (12-3) and Saint Francis (1-18), with teams squaring off at 2 p.m. on Saturday (March 9) at Uytengsu Aquatics Center. Following that game, which will be televised on Pac-12 Los Angeles, USC will play an exhibition game against the U.S. Youth National Team at 3:30 p.m. Then, the Red Flash will take their turn for an exhibition test against the U.S. Youth Team at 5 p.m.
RANKINGS
USC opened up 2024 tied at No. 1 in the national rankings. After the first week of action, the Trojans stood alone at the top. In the latest round of rankings (released March 6), USC currently stands at No. 5 in the nation.
LAST ACTION
USC picked up four wins at the Convergence Tournament in Claremont last week.
#4 USC 21, Villanova 7
Four Trojans hit hat tricks in the day's opener, with sophomore Molly Glad setting a new career high in joining Ava Stryker, Alejandra Aznar and Rachel Gazzaniga with three-goal outbursts against Villanova. USC punched up the first three goals of the game before giving up one to the Wildcats. The Trojans fired off on an eight-goal scoring rally next to build out an 11-1 lead in the second period. USC would lead it 13-3 for halftime as Aznar had her hat trick in place and Brooklyn Aguilera made a hustle play to nab a rebound and hammer it home to net a 13-3 lead at the break. In the third, Glad and Gazzaniga hit their third goals of the game, while Hannah Carver joined the scoresheet for the Trojans to help USC lead it 19-5 entering the fourth. There, Isabel Zimmerman would knock in USC final goal en route to the 21-6 final over Villanova.
#4 USC 18, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 4
CMS claimed an early lead on the Trojans before they would again fire off on a surge. Meghan McAninch sparked a run that would grow to 11 straight goals, with Aznar capping it off in the third with her third of fourth goals in the game. Five other Trojans contributed at least a goal in that rally, building a 12-2 lead. Goalie Carolyne Stern backed up a stingy USC defense that shut out the Athenas in the second period. For the second half, Laine Hourigan stepped into the cage to helm a similarly strict Trojan defense. CMS managed two goals before the final buzzer whistled on an 18-4 USC win.
#4 USC 11, Pomona-Pitzer 3
USC pinned up the first seven goals of the game while shutting out the Sagehens in the first half. Gazzaniga struck twice in that 7-0 rally on her way to a hat trick in the game. Stern made a strong stand in the cage with eight saves to back up a stingy Trojan defense. The capper in the 11-3 win came from the hands of Jelena Sarac, who tallied her first goal as a Trojan to wrap the scoring in that first game of the day.
#4 4 USC 13, #17 Pacific 8
Isabel Zimmerman sizzled in USC's opening goal, and again USC would never trail in a decisive and well-balanced win. USC led it 9-4 at halftime thanks to goals from eight different Trojans. Gazzaniga had another multi-goal game in the books with her two first-half scores, and Stern wrapped the half with back-to-back blocks between the pipes. A ripping backhand from Alex Bonaguidi registered her second of the day and a 12-5 USC lead to end the third. Aznar delivered her second early in the fourth to make it 13-5, and the Tigers carved down the deficit by the final buzzer to make it a 13-8 decision in the end.
NOTABLE:
- USC's first-half shutout of Pomona-Pitzer was the first time this season the Trojan defense has done so.
- Sarac scored her first career goal vs. Pomona-Pitzer.
- Hendrix recorded her first multi-goal game with her two goals vs. Pacific.
- With eight goals scored at the event, Gazzaniga now leads USC in scoring with 30 goals this season, followed by Aznar with 29.
- Janov, FR Stryker and Gazzaniga have now each scored in a team-high 13 games this season.
- Stryker has now scored at least one goal in USC's last nine games.
BY THE NUMBERS
Now 15 games deep into 2024, USC's balanced scoring charge is led by Rachel Gazzaniga with 30 goals, followed by Alejandra Aznar with 29, Ava Stryker with 28, and Julia Janov with 26. In all, 17 Trojans have scored at least one goal to date, including six with their first goals as Trojans. Defensively, three USC goalies have factored into the 12-3 start, led by senior Carolyne Stern. Stern is averaging 8.7 saves per game thanks in part to her four double-digit save outings this year. USC's other two goalies — Laine Hourigan and Jada Ward — are in their second season of action as Trojans. Overall, the group averages 8.0 saves per game to anchor a Trojan defense giving up just 7.3 goals per game. USC has outscored opponents 199-109 so far, while holding teams scoreless in 10 different periods to date.
CAREER CLIMBERS
Two Trojans are on the rise in the USC history books with their work this season. Goalie Carolyne Stern has moved up to No. 5 all-time among USC goalies, now holding 494 career saves to stand just behind No. 4 Tumua Anae's 534 saves from 2007-10. Alejandra Aznar, meanwhile, Is up to No. 24 all-time in career scoring with 128 goals —just a goal shy of tying No. 23 Brianna Daboub's total of 129 from 2015-18.
OVERSEAS ACHIEVERS
International experience has been key to USC's development of versatile players. The USA pipeline has crafted a number of outstanding Trojans — past, present and future, including Team USA's Emily Ausmus, who deferred her freshman enrollment at USC in order to train for the 2024 Olympics. Many other U.S. pipeline products will be capped up for USC this season, including Morgan Netherton, Rachel Gazzaniga and Ava Stryker, who competed for the USA at Junior Worlds this past summer. Abigail Hendrix, Maggie Johnson, Meghan McAninch, Hannah Meyer, Carolyne Stern, Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea, and Isabel Zimmerman also have capped up for the USA at the Youth level. Outside of the United States, several returning Trojans have also gathered international experience with other nations — Alejandra Aznar (Spain), Julia Janov (Slovakia), Emma Lawson (Canada), Fanni Muzsnay (Hungary), Jelena Sarac (Serbia).
CENTER STAGE
USC is without one decorated Trojan international for 2024, as Olympian and Cutino Award finalist Tilly Kearns is training with Australia for the 2024 Olympic Games. That leaves a void at the center position for this season, but head coach Casey Moon has tapped into his handy toolkit in order to adjust. In addition to the proven work done at set by senior Hannah Meyer, Moon has eyes on incorporating newcomer national teamer Rachel Gazzaniga along with sophomore Alex Bonaguidi for increased action, with new addition Madison Haaland-Ford also in the mix at the center slot.
ON THE ATTACK
In the field, USC is fueled by an arsenal of attackers along with deft defenders to go along with its center play. Molly Glad, Abigail Hendrix, Emma Lawson, Jelena Sarac and Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea are tabbed for duty on the defensive end, while also set to take aim offensively from the perimeter. USC's onslaught of attackers features newcomers Meghan McAninch and Ava Stryker to go along with veterans Alejandra Aznar, Julia Janov and Fanni Muzsnay, who combined for 88 goals last season. As freshmen, attackers Maggie Johnson and Morgan Netherton pinned up a combine 34 goals. All versatile tools in Moon's box of tricks, the USC attacking core also includes Brooklyn Aguilera, Hannah Carver, Caitlin Cohen, Sally McCarthy, and Isabel Zimmerman.
BACK IN ACTION
USC boasts nine returners from USC's 2023 NCAA roster, which reached the NCAA final in the program's 19th straight trip to the postseason to finish with a 29-3 overall record. Maggie Johnson and Morgan Netherton were freshmen on that squad, bringing back key lessons learned along with the other seven members of the returning group that was on deck for that NCAA journey — Brooklyn Aguilera, Alejandra Aznar, Molly Glad, Abigail Hendrix, Hannah Meyer, Carolyne Stern, Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea, Jada Ward and Isabel Zimmerman.
CAPTAIN'S SALUTE
Goalie Carolyne Stern is joined by Julia Janov and Maggie Johnson as team captains for 2024. All were instrumental in USC's NCAA run last season, and Janov and Stern are now entering their fourth season playing together. That combined experience and leadership ability gives coach Moon the utmost confidence in his three captains, who are charged with setting the tone and the course for the Trojans in 2024.
CAGE FIGHTERS
A 2023 All-American, Carolyne Stern enters her final season between the pipes. She's been a steadying and reliable force in the cage for USC, thanks in part to the talented younger goalies in the water with her every day. Sophomore Jada Ward and redshirt sophomore Laine Hourigan both served as outstanding backups for Stern last year, and they are joined by two true freshmen this season in Anna Reed and Lauren Schneider to round out a formidable goalkeeping corps for the 2024 Trojans. In her first weekend of work, Stern surged to now rank as USC's No. 6 all-time saves leader, now with 403 career saves to her name as a Trojan.
LAST SEASON
In 2023, USC went 28-3 overall in a season that saw the Trojans make a 19th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. USC posted a perfect 6-0 mark in MPSF competition before taking second place in the MPSF Tournament and later reaching a fifth consecutive NCAA final, where USC lost to Stanford. At the close of the season, Tilly Kearns was selected as a finalist for the Peter J. Cutino Award for the second straight season. She also was a First Team All-American along with Paige Hauschild and Bayley Weber. They were joined by fellow All-Americans Carolyne Stern (Honorable Mention) and Grace Tehaney (Honorable Mention). Head coach Marko Pintaric was named MPSF Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season, and Weber was named MPSF Player of the Year. •
No. 5 USC is finally splashing down for competition in home water this week. The Trojans' home opener presents the first-ever meeting between USC (12-3) and Saint Francis (1-18), with teams squaring off at 2 p.m. on Saturday (March 9) at Uytengsu Aquatics Center. Following that game, which will be televised on Pac-12 Los Angeles, USC will play an exhibition game against the U.S. Youth National Team at 3:30 p.m. Then, the Red Flash will take their turn for an exhibition test against the U.S. Youth Team at 5 p.m.
RANKINGS
USC opened up 2024 tied at No. 1 in the national rankings. After the first week of action, the Trojans stood alone at the top. In the latest round of rankings (released March 6), USC currently stands at No. 5 in the nation.
LAST ACTION
USC picked up four wins at the Convergence Tournament in Claremont last week.
#4 USC 21, Villanova 7
Four Trojans hit hat tricks in the day's opener, with sophomore Molly Glad setting a new career high in joining Ava Stryker, Alejandra Aznar and Rachel Gazzaniga with three-goal outbursts against Villanova. USC punched up the first three goals of the game before giving up one to the Wildcats. The Trojans fired off on an eight-goal scoring rally next to build out an 11-1 lead in the second period. USC would lead it 13-3 for halftime as Aznar had her hat trick in place and Brooklyn Aguilera made a hustle play to nab a rebound and hammer it home to net a 13-3 lead at the break. In the third, Glad and Gazzaniga hit their third goals of the game, while Hannah Carver joined the scoresheet for the Trojans to help USC lead it 19-5 entering the fourth. There, Isabel Zimmerman would knock in USC final goal en route to the 21-6 final over Villanova.
#4 USC 18, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 4
CMS claimed an early lead on the Trojans before they would again fire off on a surge. Meghan McAninch sparked a run that would grow to 11 straight goals, with Aznar capping it off in the third with her third of fourth goals in the game. Five other Trojans contributed at least a goal in that rally, building a 12-2 lead. Goalie Carolyne Stern backed up a stingy USC defense that shut out the Athenas in the second period. For the second half, Laine Hourigan stepped into the cage to helm a similarly strict Trojan defense. CMS managed two goals before the final buzzer whistled on an 18-4 USC win.
#4 USC 11, Pomona-Pitzer 3
USC pinned up the first seven goals of the game while shutting out the Sagehens in the first half. Gazzaniga struck twice in that 7-0 rally on her way to a hat trick in the game. Stern made a strong stand in the cage with eight saves to back up a stingy Trojan defense. The capper in the 11-3 win came from the hands of Jelena Sarac, who tallied her first goal as a Trojan to wrap the scoring in that first game of the day.
#4 4 USC 13, #17 Pacific 8
Isabel Zimmerman sizzled in USC's opening goal, and again USC would never trail in a decisive and well-balanced win. USC led it 9-4 at halftime thanks to goals from eight different Trojans. Gazzaniga had another multi-goal game in the books with her two first-half scores, and Stern wrapped the half with back-to-back blocks between the pipes. A ripping backhand from Alex Bonaguidi registered her second of the day and a 12-5 USC lead to end the third. Aznar delivered her second early in the fourth to make it 13-5, and the Tigers carved down the deficit by the final buzzer to make it a 13-8 decision in the end.
NOTABLE:
- USC's first-half shutout of Pomona-Pitzer was the first time this season the Trojan defense has done so.
- Sarac scored her first career goal vs. Pomona-Pitzer.
- Hendrix recorded her first multi-goal game with her two goals vs. Pacific.
- With eight goals scored at the event, Gazzaniga now leads USC in scoring with 30 goals this season, followed by Aznar with 29.
- Janov, FR Stryker and Gazzaniga have now each scored in a team-high 13 games this season.
- Stryker has now scored at least one goal in USC's last nine games.
BY THE NUMBERS
Now 15 games deep into 2024, USC's balanced scoring charge is led by Rachel Gazzaniga with 30 goals, followed by Alejandra Aznar with 29, Ava Stryker with 28, and Julia Janov with 26. In all, 17 Trojans have scored at least one goal to date, including six with their first goals as Trojans. Defensively, three USC goalies have factored into the 12-3 start, led by senior Carolyne Stern. Stern is averaging 8.7 saves per game thanks in part to her four double-digit save outings this year. USC's other two goalies — Laine Hourigan and Jada Ward — are in their second season of action as Trojans. Overall, the group averages 8.0 saves per game to anchor a Trojan defense giving up just 7.3 goals per game. USC has outscored opponents 199-109 so far, while holding teams scoreless in 10 different periods to date.
CAREER CLIMBERS
Two Trojans are on the rise in the USC history books with their work this season. Goalie Carolyne Stern has moved up to No. 5 all-time among USC goalies, now holding 494 career saves to stand just behind No. 4 Tumua Anae's 534 saves from 2007-10. Alejandra Aznar, meanwhile, Is up to No. 24 all-time in career scoring with 128 goals —just a goal shy of tying No. 23 Brianna Daboub's total of 129 from 2015-18.
OVERSEAS ACHIEVERS
International experience has been key to USC's development of versatile players. The USA pipeline has crafted a number of outstanding Trojans — past, present and future, including Team USA's Emily Ausmus, who deferred her freshman enrollment at USC in order to train for the 2024 Olympics. Many other U.S. pipeline products will be capped up for USC this season, including Morgan Netherton, Rachel Gazzaniga and Ava Stryker, who competed for the USA at Junior Worlds this past summer. Abigail Hendrix, Maggie Johnson, Meghan McAninch, Hannah Meyer, Carolyne Stern, Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea, and Isabel Zimmerman also have capped up for the USA at the Youth level. Outside of the United States, several returning Trojans have also gathered international experience with other nations — Alejandra Aznar (Spain), Julia Janov (Slovakia), Emma Lawson (Canada), Fanni Muzsnay (Hungary), Jelena Sarac (Serbia).
CENTER STAGE
USC is without one decorated Trojan international for 2024, as Olympian and Cutino Award finalist Tilly Kearns is training with Australia for the 2024 Olympic Games. That leaves a void at the center position for this season, but head coach Casey Moon has tapped into his handy toolkit in order to adjust. In addition to the proven work done at set by senior Hannah Meyer, Moon has eyes on incorporating newcomer national teamer Rachel Gazzaniga along with sophomore Alex Bonaguidi for increased action, with new addition Madison Haaland-Ford also in the mix at the center slot.
ON THE ATTACK
In the field, USC is fueled by an arsenal of attackers along with deft defenders to go along with its center play. Molly Glad, Abigail Hendrix, Emma Lawson, Jelena Sarac and Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea are tabbed for duty on the defensive end, while also set to take aim offensively from the perimeter. USC's onslaught of attackers features newcomers Meghan McAninch and Ava Stryker to go along with veterans Alejandra Aznar, Julia Janov and Fanni Muzsnay, who combined for 88 goals last season. As freshmen, attackers Maggie Johnson and Morgan Netherton pinned up a combine 34 goals. All versatile tools in Moon's box of tricks, the USC attacking core also includes Brooklyn Aguilera, Hannah Carver, Caitlin Cohen, Sally McCarthy, and Isabel Zimmerman.
BACK IN ACTION
USC boasts nine returners from USC's 2023 NCAA roster, which reached the NCAA final in the program's 19th straight trip to the postseason to finish with a 29-3 overall record. Maggie Johnson and Morgan Netherton were freshmen on that squad, bringing back key lessons learned along with the other seven members of the returning group that was on deck for that NCAA journey — Brooklyn Aguilera, Alejandra Aznar, Molly Glad, Abigail Hendrix, Hannah Meyer, Carolyne Stern, Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea, Jada Ward and Isabel Zimmerman.
CAPTAIN'S SALUTE
Goalie Carolyne Stern is joined by Julia Janov and Maggie Johnson as team captains for 2024. All were instrumental in USC's NCAA run last season, and Janov and Stern are now entering their fourth season playing together. That combined experience and leadership ability gives coach Moon the utmost confidence in his three captains, who are charged with setting the tone and the course for the Trojans in 2024.
CAGE FIGHTERS
A 2023 All-American, Carolyne Stern enters her final season between the pipes. She's been a steadying and reliable force in the cage for USC, thanks in part to the talented younger goalies in the water with her every day. Sophomore Jada Ward and redshirt sophomore Laine Hourigan both served as outstanding backups for Stern last year, and they are joined by two true freshmen this season in Anna Reed and Lauren Schneider to round out a formidable goalkeeping corps for the 2024 Trojans. In her first weekend of work, Stern surged to now rank as USC's No. 6 all-time saves leader, now with 403 career saves to her name as a Trojan.
LAST SEASON
In 2023, USC went 28-3 overall in a season that saw the Trojans make a 19th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. USC posted a perfect 6-0 mark in MPSF competition before taking second place in the MPSF Tournament and later reaching a fifth consecutive NCAA final, where USC lost to Stanford. At the close of the season, Tilly Kearns was selected as a finalist for the Peter J. Cutino Award for the second straight season. She also was a First Team All-American along with Paige Hauschild and Bayley Weber. They were joined by fellow All-Americans Carolyne Stern (Honorable Mention) and Grace Tehaney (Honorable Mention). Head coach Marko Pintaric was named MPSF Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season, and Weber was named MPSF Player 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
