Friday, February 23
Newport Beach, Calif.
4:15 PM
USC
vs
Indiana
Players Mentioned
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
C
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
C
/ Women's Water Polo
DEF
/ Women's Water Polo
C
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
DEF
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
2M
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
C
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
DR
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
Photo by: John McGillen
No. 5 USC Women’s Water Polo Bound For Action At Barbara Kalbus Invite
February 21, 2024 | Women's Water Polo
Trojans open up tournament play against No. 13 Indiana on Friday at Corona del Mar HS.
THIS WEEK
No. 5 USC (5-2) kicks off action at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational this week, opening up against No. 13 Indiana (12-0) at 4:15 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 13) at Corona del Mar HS and then continuing the tournament competition on Saturday and Sunday. The Trojans (5-2) will follow their Friday test against the Hoosiers with a Saturday morning matchup vs. either No. 4 Stanford or No. 13 UC Santa Barbara. Semifinals are slated for Saturday afternoon, with placement games taking place Sunday. USC finished second at last year's BKI.
RANKINGS
USC opened up 2024 tied at No. 1 in the national rankings. After the first week of action, the Trojans stood alone at the top. In the latest round of rankings (released Feb. 21), USC currently stands at No. 5 in the nation.
LAST ACTION
USC scooped up a solid road win with a 10-7 victory over No. 10 host UC Irvine last weekend. A balanced effort from the Trojans saw senior Alejandra Aznar and freshman Ava Stryker score three goals apiece while senior goalie Carolyne Stern collected 10 saves in the cage. The Anteaters got on the board first, but USC responded with a three-goal surge sparked by the first of three goals from Aznar. USC was clicking on 6-on-5 opportunities, as Maggie Johnson and Abigail Hendrix each struck on Trojan power play to build a 3-1 lead. The Anteaters answered, but Aznar fired in USC's third straight 6-on-5 finish, and USC was up 4-2 by the close of the first. The teams each plugged in 5-meter penalties in the next frame, while Stryker sizzled in two more off the power play for USC, and the Trojans gripped a 7-4 halftime lead. Both Aznar and Stryker had their hat tricks in place in the third, and the USC defense allowed just one Anteater 6-on-5 to get through for a 9-5 lead entering the fourth. There, freshman Rachel Gazzaniga averted any Anteater comeback hopes with a tip-in on a nice 6-on-5 series with 2:41 to go, and USC would claim the 10-7 final win in Irvine.
NOTABLE:
- With a goal, Gazzaniga has scored in a team-best six games this season, and she is USC's top scorer with 14 goals.
- With three goals, Stryker is now USC's second leading scorer this season with 13 goals.
- With 10 saves, Stern recorded her third double-digit save effort in the past four games.
- With three goals, Aznar has scored in USC's last three games.
BY THE NUMBERS
Just seven games deep into 2024, USC's balanced scoring charge is led by Rachel Gazzaniga with 14 goals, followed by Ava Stryker with 13, Julia Janov with 12 and Alejandra Aznar with 11. In all, 15 Trojans have scored at least one goal to date, including four with their first goals as Trojans. Defensively, three USC goalies have factored into the 5-2 start, led by senior Carolyne Stern. Stern is averaging 10.2 saves per game thanks in part to her three double-digit save outings in the past four games. USC's other two goalies — Laine Hourigan and Jada Ward — are in their second season of action as Trojans. Overall, the group averages 10.0 saves per game to anchor a Trojan defense giving up just 6.7 goals per game. USC has outscored opponents 93-47 so far, while holding teams scoreless in five different periods to date.
OVERSEAS ACHIEVERS
International experience has been key to USC's development of versatile players. The USA pipeline has crafted a number of outstanding Trojans — past, present and future, including Team USA's Emily Ausmus, who deferred her freshman enrollment at USC in order to train for the 2024 Olympics. Many other U.S. pipeline products will be capped up for USC this season, including Morgan Netherton, Rachel Gazzaniga and Ava Stryker, who competed for the USA at Junior Worlds this past summer. Abigail Hendrix, Maggie Johnson, Meghan McAninch, Hannah Meyer, Carolyne Stern, Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea, and Isabel Zimmerman also have capped up for the USA at the Youth level. Outside of the United States, several returning Trojans have also gathered international experience with other nations — Alejandra Aznar (Spain), Julia Janov (Slovakia), Emma Lawson (Canada), Fanni Muzsnay (Hungary), Jelena Sarac (Serbia).
CENTER STAGE
USC is without one decorated Trojan international for 2024, as Olympian and Cutino Award finalist Tilly Kearns is training with Australia for the 2024 Olympic Games. That leaves a void at the center position for this season, but head coach Casey Moon has tapped into his handy toolkit in order to adjust. In addition to the proven work done at set by senior Hannah Meyer, Moon has eyes on incorporating newcomer national teamer Rachel Gazzaniga along with sophomore Alex Bonaguidi for increased action, with new addition Madison Haaland-Ford also in the mix at the center slot.
ON THE ATTACK
In the field, USC is fueled by an arsenal of attackers along with deft defenders to go along with its center play. Molly Glad, Abigail Hendrix, Emma Lawson, Jelena Sarac and Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea are tabbed for duty on the defensive end, while also set to take aim offensively from the perimeter. USC's onslaught of attackers features newcomers Meghan McAninch and Ava Stryker to go along with veterans Alejandra Aznar, Julia Janov and Fanni Muzsnay, who combined for 88 goals last season. As freshmen, attackers Maggie Johnson and Morgan Netherton pinned up a combine 34 goals. All versatile tools in Moon's box of tricks, the USC attacking core also includes Brooklyn Aguilera, Hannah Carver, Caitlin Cohen, Sally McCarthy, and Isabel Zimmerman.
BACK IN ACTION
USC boasts nine returners from USC's 2023 NCAA roster, which reached the NCAA final in the program's 19th straight trip to the postseason to finish with a 29-3 overall record. Maggie Johnson and Morgan Netherton were freshmen on that squad, bringing back key lessons learned along with the other seven members of the returning group that was on deck for that NCAA journey — Brooklyn Aguilera, Alejandra Aznar, Molly Glad, Abigail Hendrix, Hannah Meyer, Carolyne Stern, Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea, Jada Ward and Isabel Zimmerman.
CAPTAIN'S SALUTE
Goalie Carolyne Stern is joined by Julia Janov and Maggie Johnson as team captains for 2024. All were instrumental in USC's NCAA run last season, and Janov and Stern are now entering their fourth season playing together. That combined experience and leadership ability gives coach Moon the utmost confidence in his three captains, who are charged with setting the tone and the course for the Trojans in 2024.
CAGE FIGHTERS
A 2023 All-American, Carolyne Stern enters her final season between the pipes. She's been a steadying and reliable force in the cage for USC, thanks in part to the talented younger goalies in the water with her every day. Sophomore Jada Ward and redshirt sophomore Laine Hourigan both served as outstanding backups for Stern last year, and they are joined by two true freshmen this season in Anna Reed and Lauren Schneider to round out a formidable goalkeeping corps for the 2024 Trojans. In her first weekend of work, Stern surged to now rank as USC's No. 6 all-time saves leader, now with 403 career saves to her name as a Trojan.
LAST SEASON
In 2023, USC went 28-3 overall in a season that saw the Trojans make a 19th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. USC posted a perfect 6-0 mark in MPSF competition before taking second place in the MPSF Tournament and later reaching a fifth consecutive NCAA final, where USC lost to Stanford. At the close of the season, Tilly Kearns was selected as a finalist for the Peter J. Cutino Award for the second straight season. She also was a First Team All-American along with Paige Hauschild and Bayley Weber. They were joined by fellow All-Americans Carolyne Stern (Honorable Mention) and Grace Tehaney (Honorable Mention). Head coach Marko Pintaric was named MPSF Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season, and Weber was named MPSF Player of the Year. •
No. 5 USC (5-2) kicks off action at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational this week, opening up against No. 13 Indiana (12-0) at 4:15 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 13) at Corona del Mar HS and then continuing the tournament competition on Saturday and Sunday. The Trojans (5-2) will follow their Friday test against the Hoosiers with a Saturday morning matchup vs. either No. 4 Stanford or No. 13 UC Santa Barbara. Semifinals are slated for Saturday afternoon, with placement games taking place Sunday. USC finished second at last year's BKI.
RANKINGS
USC opened up 2024 tied at No. 1 in the national rankings. After the first week of action, the Trojans stood alone at the top. In the latest round of rankings (released Feb. 21), USC currently stands at No. 5 in the nation.
LAST ACTION
USC scooped up a solid road win with a 10-7 victory over No. 10 host UC Irvine last weekend. A balanced effort from the Trojans saw senior Alejandra Aznar and freshman Ava Stryker score three goals apiece while senior goalie Carolyne Stern collected 10 saves in the cage. The Anteaters got on the board first, but USC responded with a three-goal surge sparked by the first of three goals from Aznar. USC was clicking on 6-on-5 opportunities, as Maggie Johnson and Abigail Hendrix each struck on Trojan power play to build a 3-1 lead. The Anteaters answered, but Aznar fired in USC's third straight 6-on-5 finish, and USC was up 4-2 by the close of the first. The teams each plugged in 5-meter penalties in the next frame, while Stryker sizzled in two more off the power play for USC, and the Trojans gripped a 7-4 halftime lead. Both Aznar and Stryker had their hat tricks in place in the third, and the USC defense allowed just one Anteater 6-on-5 to get through for a 9-5 lead entering the fourth. There, freshman Rachel Gazzaniga averted any Anteater comeback hopes with a tip-in on a nice 6-on-5 series with 2:41 to go, and USC would claim the 10-7 final win in Irvine.
NOTABLE:
- With a goal, Gazzaniga has scored in a team-best six games this season, and she is USC's top scorer with 14 goals.
- With three goals, Stryker is now USC's second leading scorer this season with 13 goals.
- With 10 saves, Stern recorded her third double-digit save effort in the past four games.
- With three goals, Aznar has scored in USC's last three games.
BY THE NUMBERS
Just seven games deep into 2024, USC's balanced scoring charge is led by Rachel Gazzaniga with 14 goals, followed by Ava Stryker with 13, Julia Janov with 12 and Alejandra Aznar with 11. In all, 15 Trojans have scored at least one goal to date, including four with their first goals as Trojans. Defensively, three USC goalies have factored into the 5-2 start, led by senior Carolyne Stern. Stern is averaging 10.2 saves per game thanks in part to her three double-digit save outings in the past four games. USC's other two goalies — Laine Hourigan and Jada Ward — are in their second season of action as Trojans. Overall, the group averages 10.0 saves per game to anchor a Trojan defense giving up just 6.7 goals per game. USC has outscored opponents 93-47 so far, while holding teams scoreless in five different periods to date.
OVERSEAS ACHIEVERS
International experience has been key to USC's development of versatile players. The USA pipeline has crafted a number of outstanding Trojans — past, present and future, including Team USA's Emily Ausmus, who deferred her freshman enrollment at USC in order to train for the 2024 Olympics. Many other U.S. pipeline products will be capped up for USC this season, including Morgan Netherton, Rachel Gazzaniga and Ava Stryker, who competed for the USA at Junior Worlds this past summer. Abigail Hendrix, Maggie Johnson, Meghan McAninch, Hannah Meyer, Carolyne Stern, Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea, and Isabel Zimmerman also have capped up for the USA at the Youth level. Outside of the United States, several returning Trojans have also gathered international experience with other nations — Alejandra Aznar (Spain), Julia Janov (Slovakia), Emma Lawson (Canada), Fanni Muzsnay (Hungary), Jelena Sarac (Serbia).
CENTER STAGE
USC is without one decorated Trojan international for 2024, as Olympian and Cutino Award finalist Tilly Kearns is training with Australia for the 2024 Olympic Games. That leaves a void at the center position for this season, but head coach Casey Moon has tapped into his handy toolkit in order to adjust. In addition to the proven work done at set by senior Hannah Meyer, Moon has eyes on incorporating newcomer national teamer Rachel Gazzaniga along with sophomore Alex Bonaguidi for increased action, with new addition Madison Haaland-Ford also in the mix at the center slot.
ON THE ATTACK
In the field, USC is fueled by an arsenal of attackers along with deft defenders to go along with its center play. Molly Glad, Abigail Hendrix, Emma Lawson, Jelena Sarac and Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea are tabbed for duty on the defensive end, while also set to take aim offensively from the perimeter. USC's onslaught of attackers features newcomers Meghan McAninch and Ava Stryker to go along with veterans Alejandra Aznar, Julia Janov and Fanni Muzsnay, who combined for 88 goals last season. As freshmen, attackers Maggie Johnson and Morgan Netherton pinned up a combine 34 goals. All versatile tools in Moon's box of tricks, the USC attacking core also includes Brooklyn Aguilera, Hannah Carver, Caitlin Cohen, Sally McCarthy, and Isabel Zimmerman.
BACK IN ACTION
USC boasts nine returners from USC's 2023 NCAA roster, which reached the NCAA final in the program's 19th straight trip to the postseason to finish with a 29-3 overall record. Maggie Johnson and Morgan Netherton were freshmen on that squad, bringing back key lessons learned along with the other seven members of the returning group that was on deck for that NCAA journey — Brooklyn Aguilera, Alejandra Aznar, Molly Glad, Abigail Hendrix, Hannah Meyer, Carolyne Stern, Honnie Vandeweghe-O'Shea, Jada Ward and Isabel Zimmerman.
CAPTAIN'S SALUTE
Goalie Carolyne Stern is joined by Julia Janov and Maggie Johnson as team captains for 2024. All were instrumental in USC's NCAA run last season, and Janov and Stern are now entering their fourth season playing together. That combined experience and leadership ability gives coach Moon the utmost confidence in his three captains, who are charged with setting the tone and the course for the Trojans in 2024.
CAGE FIGHTERS
A 2023 All-American, Carolyne Stern enters her final season between the pipes. She's been a steadying and reliable force in the cage for USC, thanks in part to the talented younger goalies in the water with her every day. Sophomore Jada Ward and redshirt sophomore Laine Hourigan both served as outstanding backups for Stern last year, and they are joined by two true freshmen this season in Anna Reed and Lauren Schneider to round out a formidable goalkeeping corps for the 2024 Trojans. In her first weekend of work, Stern surged to now rank as USC's No. 6 all-time saves leader, now with 403 career saves to her name as a Trojan.
LAST SEASON
In 2023, USC went 28-3 overall in a season that saw the Trojans make a 19th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. USC posted a perfect 6-0 mark in MPSF competition before taking second place in the MPSF Tournament and later reaching a fifth consecutive NCAA final, where USC lost to Stanford. At the close of the season, Tilly Kearns was selected as a finalist for the Peter J. Cutino Award for the second straight season. She also was a First Team All-American along with Paige Hauschild and Bayley Weber. They were joined by fellow All-Americans Carolyne Stern (Honorable Mention) and Grace Tehaney (Honorable Mention). Head coach Marko Pintaric was named MPSF Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season, and Weber was named MPSF Player of the Year. •
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