University Southern California Trojans
Friday, March 17
Honolulu, Hawaii
9:00 PM
USC
at
Hawai'i
Players Mentioned
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
2M
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
2M
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
2M
/ Women's Water Polo
2M
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
Photo by: Kristen Tehaney
No. 2 USC Women’s Water Polo Takes On Two In Honolulu
March 15, 2023 | Women's Water Polo
Trojans visit No. 5 Hawai’i for a Friday night clash, face San Diego State on Sunday.
#2 USC (17-1) at #5 Hawai'i (13-2)
Friday, March 17 | 9 p.m. PT
Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex | Honolulu
Series Record (since 1997): USC leads 49-3 (W27)
Last Meeting: USC 12, UH 9 (March 18, 2022)
STATS
#2 USC vs. #24 San Diego State (7-12)
Sunday, March 19 | 12 p.m. PT
Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex | Honolulu
Series Record (since 1995): USC leads 40-9 (W40)
Last Meeting: USC 13, SDSU 5 (Feb. 22, 2019)
THIS WEEK
No. 2 USC is in Hawai'i this week for a Spring Break training trip that will also feature two official games. The Trojans (17-1) play host No. 5 Hawai'i at 9 p.m. PT on Friday (March 17) and face No. 24 San Diego State at 1 p.m. PT on Sunday (March 19) in Honolulu.
RANKINGS
USC picked up the No. 2 ranking in the nation to open 2023, mirroring the Trojans' 2022 finish. As of the latest round of national rankings (released March 15), USC still sits at No. 2 in the land.
LAST ACTION
USC made a winning move in overtime to lay claim to a key MPSF matchup with a 15-14 victory over host No. 3 California in Berkeley. The Trojans had to fend off the Golden Bears, who overcame a three-goal deficit to the Trojans in the first half and forced overtime. Cal snagged an early lead in OT, only to see the Trojans move back on top, with Tilly Kearns tallying the game-winner with seven seconds left to get USC the road win. USC came out of the gates with a powerful offensive push, netting six goals from six different scorers in the first frame to go up 6-2 after eight minutes of action. Scoring slowed for the Trojans next, however, allowing the Golden Bears to make up ground and get it to a 7-5 margin by halftime. Cal continued to reel in its visitors, although Bayley Weber's scoring touch tallied two Trojan goals off feeds from Alejandra Aznar. Cal pinned up four goals in the third, and it was all even at 9-9 entering the fourth. Weber's fourth goal of the3 game tugged the Trojans ahead 10-9, but Cal bit back with a skipper to snarl it at 10-10 a couple minutes later. Grace Tehaney sizzled in a go-ahead goal for USC, and then Aznar made it a 12-10 USC advantage with 1:31 on the clock. A Cal power play was finished off just ahead of the final minute, and then the Bears found another equalizer to lock things up 12-12 with seven seconds left in regulation, and the teams were on to OT. Cal netted its first lead of the game with another 6-on-5 finish to open the first overtime period, but some tough work from Kearns earned a 6-on-5 for the Trojans soon after, and Paige Hauschild found Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea for a blast that leveled it a 13-13. Hauschild would deposit a 5-meter penalty shot for the Trojan cause with 26 seconds on the clock to lift USC ahead 14-13, and Aznar delivered a field block to wrap the first OT with USC on top. USC's defense was stingy in the next OT stretch, but the Bears broke through in a 7-on-6 situation to snarl things up again, even at 14-14 with 21 seconds to go. On the attack looking for the winner, USC got the ball to Kearns, who rocked a bar-in blast with seven seconds to secure a 15-14 final win for the Trojans.
NOTABLE:
- With 12 saves, Carolyne Stern moved up to rank No. 8 all-time in goalie saves at USC with 318 career saves.
- Stern has now recorded five double-digit save outings this season.
- With two goals scored, Grace Tehaney moved up to rank No. 16 all-time in scoring at USC with 143 career goals.
- This was USC's second overtime game this season, now 2-0 in OT competition this year.
- USC has now won 26 consecutive games against Cal.
- With four goals, Bayley Weber continues to lead the team with in multiple-goal outings this season, now with 13 this year.
- Weber and Tilly Kearns lead the Trojans with goals in 16 games this season.
BY THE NUMBERS
Now 18 games deep into 2023, USC's balanced scoring charge is led by Bayley Weber with 44 goals, followed by Tilly Kearns with 37 and Alejandra Aznar and Paige Hauschild with 25 apiece. In all, 23 Trojans have scored at least one goal to date, including eight with their first goals as Trojans. Defensively, all four USC goalies have factored into the 17-1 start, led by senior Carolyne Stern. Stern is averaging 10.0 saves per game thanks in part to a career-high 16 saves made against Long Beach State on Jan. 28 — one of five double-digit saves outings by Stern so far this season. USC's other three goalies — Laine Hourigan, Sofia Stein and Jada Ward — are in their first season of action as Trojans. Overall, the group averages 10.4 saves per game to anchor a Trojan defense giving up just 6.9 goals per game. USC has outscored opponents 308-125 so far, while holding teams scoreless in 13 different periods to date, including a powerful second-half shutout of No. 6 UC Irvine on Feb. 18.
ON THE RISE
Senior Paige Hauschild has climbed to rank No. 10 all-time in scoring at USC with 189 career goals to date. Several more veteran Trojans are also on the climb. Bayley Weber ranks No. 11 with 187 career goals, and Grace Tehaney sits at No. 16 with 143 to her name. Meanwhile, Tilly Kearns, who joined the 100-goal club at USC earlier this season, now holds 130 goals as a Trojan, and Mireia Guiral also is on the rise with 112 career goals. On the defensive end, senior goalie Carolyne Stern has taken over at No. 8 all-time among USC goalies with her 318 career saves.
MORE WAVES FROM WEBER
Bayley Weber was a driving force in a key MPSF road win in Berkeley last weekend. For her all-around efforts to help the Trojans top No. 3 California, Weber was named MPSF Player of the Week on March 14. Weber was USC's top scorer with four goals in the Trojans' 15-14 overtime win at Cal. Weber also drew three exclusions and had one assist, one field block and a steal in the key conference victory. With her efforts in the Trojan win, Weber leads the team with 13 multiple-goal outings this season. She is tied for the team lead with goals scored in 16 of USC's 18 games this season. This is Weber's second MPSF Player of the Week selection this season and the fourth of her USC career.
HATS OFF TO THE CAPTAINS
USC's 2023 captains are a decorated pair. Both 2020 Olympians, Paige Haushild and Tilly Kearns are the experienced backbone of the Trojan roster once again. Kearns finished the 2022 season at the top of the scoring leaderboard with 64 goals – 10th most scored in a single season in program history – and as a Peter J. Cutino Award finalist. The Aussie Olympian earned spots on the 2022 NCAA All-Tournament First Team, the MPSF All-Tournament Team and All-MPSF First Team for her work at two-meters. Olympic gold medalist Hauschild collected 47 goals of her own last season while applying pressure on both sides of the pool. Hauschild was a freshman when USC won the NCAA Championship in 2018, although both she and Kearns were away training with their respective Olympic teams when the Trojans last won it all in 2021. Hauschild and Kearns are two of seven returning All-Americans on the 2023 USC roster, alongside Alejandra Aznar, Mireia Guiral, Carolyne Stern, Grace Tehaney and Bayley Weber.
MORE VETS
In all, USC returns 13 members of its 16-member roster from the 2022 NCAA Tournament. In addition to its seven All-Americans, experienced depth returns in the form of seniors Téa Poljak, Claire Haas, Brooklyn Aguilera and Christina Crum, along with junior Julia Janov and sophomores Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea and Isabel Zimmerman..
YOUNG GUNS
USC's newest additions come from an array of the best talent in the world, including U.S. pipeline members Morgan Netherton and Maggie Johnson. The Trojans also have added Fresno State transfer Fanni Muzsnay, who also has international experience as a member of the Hungarian National Team. Freshman Alex Bonaguidi is tabbed for duty at center, joined by redshirt sophomore Hannah Meyer, who sat out last season due to injury.
LAST SEASON
In 2022, USC posted a 20-4 overall record while making an 18th straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Trojans went a perfect 6-0 in MPSF competition before taking second in the MPSF Tournament and reaching a fourth consecutive NCAA final. USC had beaten Fresno State 15-9 in the quarterfinals and then topped Cal 9-7 in the semis to face Stanford in the title match, falling 10-7 to the Cardinal. At the close of the season, Tilly Kearns was selected as a finalist for the Peter J. Cutino Award and was a First Team All-American along with Paige Hauschild. They were joined by fellow All-Americans Bayley Weber (Second Team), Carolyne Stern (Third Team), Mireia Guiral (Honorable Mention) and Grace Tehaney (Honorable Mention). Head coach Marko Pintaric was named MPSF Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. •
Friday, March 17 | 9 p.m. PT
Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex | Honolulu
Series Record (since 1997): USC leads 49-3 (W27)
Last Meeting: USC 12, UH 9 (March 18, 2022)
STATS
#2 USC vs. #24 San Diego State (7-12)
Sunday, March 19 | 12 p.m. PT
Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex | Honolulu
Series Record (since 1995): USC leads 40-9 (W40)
Last Meeting: USC 13, SDSU 5 (Feb. 22, 2019)
THIS WEEK
No. 2 USC is in Hawai'i this week for a Spring Break training trip that will also feature two official games. The Trojans (17-1) play host No. 5 Hawai'i at 9 p.m. PT on Friday (March 17) and face No. 24 San Diego State at 1 p.m. PT on Sunday (March 19) in Honolulu.
RANKINGS
USC picked up the No. 2 ranking in the nation to open 2023, mirroring the Trojans' 2022 finish. As of the latest round of national rankings (released March 15), USC still sits at No. 2 in the land.
LAST ACTION
USC made a winning move in overtime to lay claim to a key MPSF matchup with a 15-14 victory over host No. 3 California in Berkeley. The Trojans had to fend off the Golden Bears, who overcame a three-goal deficit to the Trojans in the first half and forced overtime. Cal snagged an early lead in OT, only to see the Trojans move back on top, with Tilly Kearns tallying the game-winner with seven seconds left to get USC the road win. USC came out of the gates with a powerful offensive push, netting six goals from six different scorers in the first frame to go up 6-2 after eight minutes of action. Scoring slowed for the Trojans next, however, allowing the Golden Bears to make up ground and get it to a 7-5 margin by halftime. Cal continued to reel in its visitors, although Bayley Weber's scoring touch tallied two Trojan goals off feeds from Alejandra Aznar. Cal pinned up four goals in the third, and it was all even at 9-9 entering the fourth. Weber's fourth goal of the3 game tugged the Trojans ahead 10-9, but Cal bit back with a skipper to snarl it at 10-10 a couple minutes later. Grace Tehaney sizzled in a go-ahead goal for USC, and then Aznar made it a 12-10 USC advantage with 1:31 on the clock. A Cal power play was finished off just ahead of the final minute, and then the Bears found another equalizer to lock things up 12-12 with seven seconds left in regulation, and the teams were on to OT. Cal netted its first lead of the game with another 6-on-5 finish to open the first overtime period, but some tough work from Kearns earned a 6-on-5 for the Trojans soon after, and Paige Hauschild found Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea for a blast that leveled it a 13-13. Hauschild would deposit a 5-meter penalty shot for the Trojan cause with 26 seconds on the clock to lift USC ahead 14-13, and Aznar delivered a field block to wrap the first OT with USC on top. USC's defense was stingy in the next OT stretch, but the Bears broke through in a 7-on-6 situation to snarl things up again, even at 14-14 with 21 seconds to go. On the attack looking for the winner, USC got the ball to Kearns, who rocked a bar-in blast with seven seconds to secure a 15-14 final win for the Trojans.
NOTABLE:
- With 12 saves, Carolyne Stern moved up to rank No. 8 all-time in goalie saves at USC with 318 career saves.
- Stern has now recorded five double-digit save outings this season.
- With two goals scored, Grace Tehaney moved up to rank No. 16 all-time in scoring at USC with 143 career goals.
- This was USC's second overtime game this season, now 2-0 in OT competition this year.
- USC has now won 26 consecutive games against Cal.
- With four goals, Bayley Weber continues to lead the team with in multiple-goal outings this season, now with 13 this year.
- Weber and Tilly Kearns lead the Trojans with goals in 16 games this season.
BY THE NUMBERS
Now 18 games deep into 2023, USC's balanced scoring charge is led by Bayley Weber with 44 goals, followed by Tilly Kearns with 37 and Alejandra Aznar and Paige Hauschild with 25 apiece. In all, 23 Trojans have scored at least one goal to date, including eight with their first goals as Trojans. Defensively, all four USC goalies have factored into the 17-1 start, led by senior Carolyne Stern. Stern is averaging 10.0 saves per game thanks in part to a career-high 16 saves made against Long Beach State on Jan. 28 — one of five double-digit saves outings by Stern so far this season. USC's other three goalies — Laine Hourigan, Sofia Stein and Jada Ward — are in their first season of action as Trojans. Overall, the group averages 10.4 saves per game to anchor a Trojan defense giving up just 6.9 goals per game. USC has outscored opponents 308-125 so far, while holding teams scoreless in 13 different periods to date, including a powerful second-half shutout of No. 6 UC Irvine on Feb. 18.
ON THE RISE
Senior Paige Hauschild has climbed to rank No. 10 all-time in scoring at USC with 189 career goals to date. Several more veteran Trojans are also on the climb. Bayley Weber ranks No. 11 with 187 career goals, and Grace Tehaney sits at No. 16 with 143 to her name. Meanwhile, Tilly Kearns, who joined the 100-goal club at USC earlier this season, now holds 130 goals as a Trojan, and Mireia Guiral also is on the rise with 112 career goals. On the defensive end, senior goalie Carolyne Stern has taken over at No. 8 all-time among USC goalies with her 318 career saves.
MORE WAVES FROM WEBER
Bayley Weber was a driving force in a key MPSF road win in Berkeley last weekend. For her all-around efforts to help the Trojans top No. 3 California, Weber was named MPSF Player of the Week on March 14. Weber was USC's top scorer with four goals in the Trojans' 15-14 overtime win at Cal. Weber also drew three exclusions and had one assist, one field block and a steal in the key conference victory. With her efforts in the Trojan win, Weber leads the team with 13 multiple-goal outings this season. She is tied for the team lead with goals scored in 16 of USC's 18 games this season. This is Weber's second MPSF Player of the Week selection this season and the fourth of her USC career.
HATS OFF TO THE CAPTAINS
USC's 2023 captains are a decorated pair. Both 2020 Olympians, Paige Haushild and Tilly Kearns are the experienced backbone of the Trojan roster once again. Kearns finished the 2022 season at the top of the scoring leaderboard with 64 goals – 10th most scored in a single season in program history – and as a Peter J. Cutino Award finalist. The Aussie Olympian earned spots on the 2022 NCAA All-Tournament First Team, the MPSF All-Tournament Team and All-MPSF First Team for her work at two-meters. Olympic gold medalist Hauschild collected 47 goals of her own last season while applying pressure on both sides of the pool. Hauschild was a freshman when USC won the NCAA Championship in 2018, although both she and Kearns were away training with their respective Olympic teams when the Trojans last won it all in 2021. Hauschild and Kearns are two of seven returning All-Americans on the 2023 USC roster, alongside Alejandra Aznar, Mireia Guiral, Carolyne Stern, Grace Tehaney and Bayley Weber.
MORE VETS
In all, USC returns 13 members of its 16-member roster from the 2022 NCAA Tournament. In addition to its seven All-Americans, experienced depth returns in the form of seniors Téa Poljak, Claire Haas, Brooklyn Aguilera and Christina Crum, along with junior Julia Janov and sophomores Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea and Isabel Zimmerman..
YOUNG GUNS
USC's newest additions come from an array of the best talent in the world, including U.S. pipeline members Morgan Netherton and Maggie Johnson. The Trojans also have added Fresno State transfer Fanni Muzsnay, who also has international experience as a member of the Hungarian National Team. Freshman Alex Bonaguidi is tabbed for duty at center, joined by redshirt sophomore Hannah Meyer, who sat out last season due to injury.
LAST SEASON
In 2022, USC posted a 20-4 overall record while making an 18th straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Trojans went a perfect 6-0 in MPSF competition before taking second in the MPSF Tournament and reaching a fourth consecutive NCAA final. USC had beaten Fresno State 15-9 in the quarterfinals and then topped Cal 9-7 in the semis to face Stanford in the title match, falling 10-7 to the Cardinal. At the close of the season, Tilly Kearns was selected as a finalist for the Peter J. Cutino Award and was a First Team All-American along with Paige Hauschild. They were joined by fellow All-Americans Bayley Weber (Second Team), Carolyne Stern (Third Team), Mireia Guiral (Honorable Mention) and Grace Tehaney (Honorable Mention). Head coach Marko Pintaric was named MPSF Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. •
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