The USC women's water polo team spent Valentine's Day beating crosstown rival UCLA, 8-6, to win the Triton Invitational title, extending its perfect start to the season through six matches. This rivalry match was the first time the Women of Troy faced the Bruins since their heartbreaking loss in the 2015 MPSF Championship last season.USC jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and never looked back, entering halftime with a 5-3 advantage. The Trojans continued this hot start after halftime with three quick scores from twin drivers Stephania and Ioanna Haralabidis along with sophomore Brianna Daboub to give USC its largest lead and the ultimate victory.
The victory also gives the Trojans a 20-point advantage in the BMW Crosstown Cup, leading the Bruins 55-35.
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Click here for a recap from the winning weekend.
The Haralabidis twins dominated the Triton Invitational with Stephania earning MPSF Player of the Week honors for her weekend performance. The junior driver led the Trojans in scoring throughout the tournament with nine goals, and she netted a hat trick in the rivalry redemption match on Sunday. Haralabidis also leads the Women of Troy in scoring for the 2016 season with her 15 goals to date.
Freshman Amanda Longan joined Haralabidis on the honor roll this week by earning MPSF Newcomer of the Week for her performance defending the net. Over the weekend, Longan only allowed four goals in her appearances, while collecting a total of eight saves. Both of these honors are the first MPSF weekly awards for the Women of Troy this season.
Click here for a full release on the sweep of the weekly awards.
Next up, the Women of Troy host Cal State Northridge on Saturday, February 20, at 1:00 p.m. at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center as they look to stay undefeated.
