Saturday, May 13
Stockton, Calif.
7:00 PM
USC
28-2
18
vs
8
Princeton
28-4
1
2
3
4
OT
OT
F
Princeton
2
2
2
2
0
0
8
USC Women
6
4
6
2
0
0
18
Team Stats
PRI
USC
Shots
22
40
Goals
8
18
Assists
6
14
Points
14
32
Exclusions
5
12
Steals
8
20
Sprints
0
4
1
Bayley Weber
07:38
Tilly Kearns
06:00
Bayley Weber
05:03
Kayla Carroll
04:52
Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea
04:02
Kayla Yelensky
02:01
Tilly Kearns
01:25
Tilly Kearns
00:18
2
Tilly Kearns
06:54
Jovana Sekulic
04:49
Mireia Guiral
02:46
Bayley Weber
01:45
Meera Burghardt
01:23
Grace Tehaney
00:17
3
Paige Hauschild
07:32
Ava Houlahan
06:43
Paige Hauschild
06:22
Hannah Meyer
04:56
Grace Tehaney
03:34
Kayla Carroll
01:58
Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea
01:33
Tilly Kearns
00:51
4
Kayla Yelensky
06:07
Kayla Yelensky
03:02
Claire Haas
02:28
Morgan Netherton
01:12
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
7
Goals
5
Assists
0
Points
5
Shots
6
Goals
2
Assists
1
Points
3
Shots
5
Goals
3
Assists
1
Points
4
Shots
3
Goals
2
Assists
0
Points
2
Players Mentioned
2M
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo2M
/ Women's Water Polo
2M
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water PoloDR
/ Women's Water PoloUT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water PoloPhoto by: Katie Chin
USC Women’s Water Polo Powers Past Princeton 18-8 To Reach NCAA Title Game
May 13, 2023 | Women's Water Polo
Trojans are through to the NCAA Championship game against Stanford tomorrow in Stockton.
STOCKTON, CALIF. — The USC women's water polo team punched up a fifth straight spot in the NCAA Championship game with a dominant 18-8 win over Princeton in today's NCAA Semifinals in Stockton, Calif. The Trojans took quick control of the Tigers and never looked back, as Tilly Kearns matched her career high with five goals while Bayley Weber added three to help USC drum up its 28th win of the year. USC now takes aim at the 2023 title with a rematch of last year's final, facing Stanford tomorrow (May 12) at 7 p.m. It's been either USC or Stanford winning it all the past 10 years. Now. 28-2 overall, USC is looking for its eighth national championship on the women's side.
In the third, Hauschild topped off a 5-meter earned by Kearns, and then followed a Princeton score with an impressive spin and finish that sparked a three-goal USC surge. Hannah Meyer got on the scoresheet with a fine finish, and Tehaney tallied her second to take the Trojans to a 14-5 lead. Princeton interrupted USC's push with a 6-on-4 score, only to see Vandeweghe-O'Shea slice in a bar-in skipper before Kearns hammered home her fifth to get USC a 10-goal lead on the way into the fourth. The final stretch saw Princeton convert on a 5-meter and another 6-on-4 chance, but USC had the last words. Meyer found Claire Haas for a slick lob out of set, and then Maggie Johnson connected with fellow freshman Morgan Netherton to help round out USC's 18-8 win over the Tigers.
NEXT: USC makes its fifth straight NCAA Championship game appearance tomorrow (May 14), taking on Stanford in a 7 p.m. title match at Chris Kjeldsen Pool in Stockton.
NOTABLE:
- Tilly Kearns tied her season high with five goals today.
- With three goals today, Bayley Weber moved up to stand tied at No. 6 all-time in scoring at USC with 213 career goals.
- Weber now has scored 70 goals this season, making her one of just nine Trojans to score 70 or more goals in a single season.
- With two goals today, Paige Hauschild now ranks No. 10 all-time in scoring at USC with 206 career goals.
- USC is now 41-12 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and is making its fifth straight trip to the NCAA Championship game.
- USC faces Stanford in the final for the eighth time, with the Trojans holding a 4-3 record in finals vs. the Cardinal.
- This is USC's 13th all-time NCAA final, with six NCAA Championships won.
- USC won its first national championship in 1999, before it became an NCAA event (USC holds seven total national championships).
2023 NCAA TOURNAMENT (Stockton, Calif.)
SEMIFINALS
USC 18, Princeton 8
May 13, 2023 | Chris Kjeldsen Pool (Stockton, Calif.)
USC 6 - 4 - 6 - 2 = 18
PU 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 = 8
SCORING:
USC — Tilly Kearns 5, Bayley Weber 3, Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea 2, Paige Hauschild 2, Grace Tehaney 2, Mireia Guiral, Hannah Meyer, Claire Haas, Morgan Netherton.
PU — Kayla Yelensky 3, Kayla Carroll 2, Jovana Sekulic, Meera Burghardt, Ava Houlahan.
SAVES: Carolyne Stern (USC) 5 [3 periods], Jada Ward (USC) 2 [4th period], Lindsey Lucas (PU) 10.
Bayley Weber broke open the scoring for the Trojans with a nearside strike off a feed from Julia Janov on USC's first possession, and the Trojan defense reigned supreme for the next stretch, nabbing takeaways to help feed the USC attack. A grab from Grace Tehaney helped fuel a Tilly Kearns one-on-one the other way, and that finish would be followed by a Weber rocket to take the Trojans ahead 3-0. The Tigers bit back, but Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea struck just 40 seconds later for the Trojan cause. In the final 1:30 of the first, Kearns went back-to-back to make it a first-frame hat trick for herself and a 6-2 USC lead after eight minutes of action. Janov opened the second with a steal, and Hauschild earned a 5-meter penalty shot for Kearns to deposit, keeping the Trojan train chugging along to a 7-2 advantage. Princeton found two goals before halftime hit, but USC's seniors poured on three more goals, as Mireia Guiral, Weber and Tehaney all knocked in nice goals to make it a 10-4 USC lead at the break.2️⃣ down. 1️⃣ to go!
— USC Water Polo (@USCWaterPolo) May 14, 2023
Trojans take aim at the NCAA 🏆 tomorrow!#FightOn ✌️ pic.twitter.com/EevfiWevda
In the third, Hauschild topped off a 5-meter earned by Kearns, and then followed a Princeton score with an impressive spin and finish that sparked a three-goal USC surge. Hannah Meyer got on the scoresheet with a fine finish, and Tehaney tallied her second to take the Trojans to a 14-5 lead. Princeton interrupted USC's push with a 6-on-4 score, only to see Vandeweghe-O'Shea slice in a bar-in skipper before Kearns hammered home her fifth to get USC a 10-goal lead on the way into the fourth. The final stretch saw Princeton convert on a 5-meter and another 6-on-4 chance, but USC had the last words. Meyer found Claire Haas for a slick lob out of set, and then Maggie Johnson connected with fellow freshman Morgan Netherton to help round out USC's 18-8 win over the Tigers.
NEXT: USC makes its fifth straight NCAA Championship game appearance tomorrow (May 14), taking on Stanford in a 7 p.m. title match at Chris Kjeldsen Pool in Stockton.
NOTABLE:
- Tilly Kearns tied her season high with five goals today.
- With three goals today, Bayley Weber moved up to stand tied at No. 6 all-time in scoring at USC with 213 career goals.
- Weber now has scored 70 goals this season, making her one of just nine Trojans to score 70 or more goals in a single season.
- With two goals today, Paige Hauschild now ranks No. 10 all-time in scoring at USC with 206 career goals.
- USC is now 41-12 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and is making its fifth straight trip to the NCAA Championship game.
- USC faces Stanford in the final for the eighth time, with the Trojans holding a 4-3 record in finals vs. the Cardinal.
- This is USC's 13th all-time NCAA final, with six NCAA Championships won.
- USC won its first national championship in 1999, before it became an NCAA event (USC holds seven total national championships).
2023 NCAA TOURNAMENT (Stockton, Calif.)
SEMIFINALS
USC 18, Princeton 8
May 13, 2023 | Chris Kjeldsen Pool (Stockton, Calif.)
USC 6 - 4 - 6 - 2 = 18
PU 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 = 8
SCORING:
USC — Tilly Kearns 5, Bayley Weber 3, Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea 2, Paige Hauschild 2, Grace Tehaney 2, Mireia Guiral, Hannah Meyer, Claire Haas, Morgan Netherton.
PU — Kayla Yelensky 3, Kayla Carroll 2, Jovana Sekulic, Meera Burghardt, Ava Houlahan.
SAVES: Carolyne Stern (USC) 5 [3 periods], Jada Ward (USC) 2 [4th period], Lindsey Lucas (PU) 10.
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
