University Southern California Trojans
2026 Women's Water Polo Roster
Roster
Rachel Gazzaniga
- Class:
- Junior
- Position:
- Center
- Height:
- 6-1
- Hometown:
- North Tustin, Calif.
- High School:
- Foothill HS
- Major:
- Health & Human Sciences
2026 SEASON:
• NCAA All-Tournament Second Team
• All-America Second Team
• Cutino Award Watch List
• All-MPSF First Team
• Led the team in drawn exclusions with 39 and added 42 goals and 28 assists
• Recorded 14 multiple goal outings in her junior season
• Scored a hat trick and drew two exclusions versus Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
• Tallied four assists and four drawn exclusions against California
• Recorded four consecutive games with a hat trick against San Jose State, Indiana, Michigan and LIU
• Racked up eight points on four goals and four assists versus Michigan
• Scored a hat trick and drew three exclusions against Arizona State
• Scored three goals and added three drawn exclusions, two steals and two blocks in the NCAA Tournament
• CSC Academic At-Large All-District Team
• Earned MPSF All-Academic All-Big Ten Academic honors
2025 SEASON:
• All-America Third Team
• All-MPSF Second Team
• NCAA All-Tournament First Team
• Scored 46 goals as a sophomore
• Scored in 26 games with multiple-goal outings in 13 games
• Had a career-high four goals vs. UCLA on Feb. 2
• Scored three goals at the MPSF Tournament and four at the NCAA Tournament
• An MPSF Scholar-Athlete, also earned ACWPC All-Academic and All-Big Ten Academic honors.
2024 SEASON:
• All-America First Team
• All-MPSF Honorable Mention
• MPSF All-Newcomer Team
• Scored a team-high 49 goals as a true freshman
• Scored in 22 games with a team-high 17 multiple-goal outings
• Set career high with four goals vs. Concordia on Feb. 2
• Scored first career goal as a Trojan vs. San Diego State in season opener
• Scored in all three games at the MPSF Tournament, finishing with a total of six goals
• A member of USC’s 2024 NCAA Tournament roster
• Earned ACWPC All-Academic honors
NATIONAL TEAMS:
• A member of U.S. Senior National Team
• Competed for Team USA at 2025 World Aquatics World Championships
• Competed for the USA at the 2023 World Aquatics Junior World Championships
• Played with the U.S. Senior National Team at the 2022 FINA Intercontinental Cup
• Won gold at the 2022 FINA Youth World Championship
• Won gold at the 2022 Junior Pan American Games
HIGH SCHOOL: A CIF State Champion in 2023 with Foothill High… Named to 2023 All-CIF First Team... Earned 2020 All-CIF Second Team honors… Played club for SoCal.
PERSONAL: Gazzaniga is majoring in human biology… Parents are David and Jessica… Has four siblings: Kyle, Isabela, John and Luke… Father played football at Dartmouth... Sister, Isabela, played water polo at UCLA… Enjoys reading, napping and exploring… Would like to backpack through Europe… Born on October 18, 2004.
