Thursday, March 7
Irvine, CA
6:00 PM
USC
at
UC Irvine
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
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
G
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
Photo by: Hali Helfgott
No. 1 USC Visits UC Irvine, Hosts San José State
March 06, 2019 | Women's Water Polo, Features
Trojans are off to Irvine for a 6 p.m. game on Thursday before returning home to face the Spartans at 12:30 p.m. on Friday.
THIS WEEK
The top-ranked Women of Troy own a 33-game win streak as the undefeated USC squad (17-0, 1-0 MPSF) lines up for two tilts this week. First up is a nonconference meeting against No. 8 UC Irvine (12-5), with the Trojans taking the trip to Anteater Aquatic Center for a 6 p.m. clash with UC Irvine on Thursday (March 7). Then, USC will return to home waters for an MPSF matchup against No. 19 San José State (4-4, 0-0 MPSF) at 12:30 p.m. on Friday (March 8) at Uytengsu Aquatics Center.
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 6 rankings, the Trojans remain at No. 1 in the land.
SCOUTING UCI
The No. 8 Anteaters are 12-5 overall after beating Chapman 18-0 and Pomona-Pitzer 19-3 last week. Tara Prentice is UCI's top scorer with 41 goals to date, while goalie Morgan Jones is averaging 7.69 saves and 8.51 goals-against per game in her 15 appearances. USC is 29-3 all-time against the Anteaters with wins in the last 29 meetings after a 13-7 win last season in Los Angeles.
SCOUTING SJSU
The No. 19 Spartans are 4-4 overall after an 11-7 win over Santa Clara in their last action. Olga Descalzi Portell is SJSU's top scorer with 20 goals to date, while goalie Hannah Henry is averaging 9.29 saves and 10.67 goals-against per game. USC is 36-0 all-time against the Spartans after a 12-1 win last season in Saratoga, Calif.
LAST ACTION
USC stayed perfect on the year with a winning run to the 2019 Barbara Kalbus Invitational championship in its last action. 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 — now at 32 in a row dating back to last season.
SWEEPS WEEK (PART 2)
USC locked up its second sweep of the MPSF's weekly honors as junior 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.
A junior, Megens delivered six goals at the invitational, serving up a hat trick in a 9-8 semifinal win over Cal and two goals in the 10-8 title match victory over Stanford. Megens scored back-to-back goals in the fourth period against Cal in the semis to open up an 8-5 lead in what would wrap as a one-goal victory for USC, finishing with three in that one. In the title match vs. Stanford, Megens earned an early exclusion and then scored it to help USC to a 1-0 lead. Her second came in the third to get USC ahead 6-4 en route to a final 10-8 decision that secured the tournament title for the Trojans. 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. Carrying two exclusions into the fourth, Weber scored to get USC ahead 9-6 in the fourth to help secure the semifinal win. Her goal in the title match made it a 3-0 USC lead over Stanford to help USC along to the eventual championship victory. It's Weber's first career award as a Trojan.
SWEEPS WEEK (PART 1)
USC made it a sweep of the MPSF weekly honor roll after standout performances by Trojans at the Triton Invitational. Picking up her first career award as a Trojan was freshman Alejandra Aznar, who has been 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. Aznar had one goal in USC's opening 15-4 win over Pomona-Pitzer before unleashing three in a 16-5 win over No. 13 LMU to wrap group play. Aznar would score again in USC's 10-3 semifinal victory over No. 8 Michigan before adding her sixth of the event during USC's 10-3 win over No. 3 UCLA in the title match. Aznar now stands as USC's second leading scorer with 19 goals in helping USC to a 12-0 start to 2019 and to USC's sixth consecutive Triton Invite title. 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 while giving up just two goals in that span. On the final day, however, Longan's dominance would grow greater. She collected a season-high 14 saves in a 10-3 win over No. 8 Michigan in the semifinal before making 11 stops against No. 3 UCLA to help beat the Bruins 10-3 and claim the tournament crown for the sixth straight year.
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. 17 all-time at USC in scoring with 134 career goals — one shy of the No. 16 spot and three from No. 15. 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 714 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 93 and 90 goals, respectively, to date.
BY THE NUMBERS
Now 17 games into 2019, USC has outscored opponents 210-35. Junior Maud Megens is the Trojans' top scorer to date with 39 goals. Behind her on the 2019 scoresheet sits sophomore Paige Hauschild with 25 goals and true freshman Alejandra Aznar and with 23. They're followed by freshmen Tilly Kearns with 21. On the defensive end, two goalies have checked into the cage to date. Senior Amanda Longan has logged minutes in 14 games, averaging 11.4 saves and 3.32 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 3.43 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 14 games while accumulating a grand total of 32 shutout periods this season so far, including back-to-back complete-game shutouts. Overall, USC is averaging 14.65 goals per game on the offensive end and is allowing just 3.35 goals-against per game defensively.
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.
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 52 goals — 21 percent of the Trojans' team total.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
