University Southern California Trojans
Saturday, January 18
Long Beach, Calif.
11:45 a.m.
USC
vs
Biola
Players Mentioned
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
C
/ Women's Water Polo
C
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
C
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
G
/ Women's Water Polo
C
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
Photo by: Drake Lee
2025 USC WOMEN’S WATER POLO SEASON OUTLOOK
January 18, 2025 | Women's Water Polo
Ranked No. 3 to start the season, USC kicks off 2025 action at the Beach Invite on Saturday (Jan. 18).
LOS ANGELES — A youth movement gets reinforcements and a lift in leadership for 2025 as the USC women's water polo season unfurls under the guidance of head coach Casey Moon. Almost half of USC's scoring was generated by just five Trojan freshmen and sophomores last year, when USC reached a 20th consecutive NCAA Tournament and finished 18-9 overall. This season, the experiences gleaned and collective motivation for more has this group of 2025 Trojans gelling into a formidable force.
All-Americans as freshmen, Rachel Gazzaniga and Ava Stryker are coming off a gold-medal run with Team USA at the recent Pan American Games alongside incoming freshman and 2024 Olympian Emily Ausmus. Two-time Olympian and 2024 silver medalist Tilly Kearns also plunges back into action at USC, where she is one of a five-woman senior class setting up for their final season as Trojans.
"Our five seniors together truly embody who we are as a program and our Trojan standards," Moon said of Kearns, Laine Hourigan, Emma Lawson, Sally McCarthy and Isabel Zimmerman. "They are joyful and competitive, mindful and compassionate. They are our Gorilla Glue with their experience and knowledge of being in this program and their ability to share that with our younger ones."
Along with Ausmus, who deferred her enrollment in 2023-24 to compete with Team USA in Paris, USC welcomes a total of five newcomers to the pool for this 2025 campaign. Also boasting international experience are true freshman Alma Yaacobi (Israel) and junior transfer Sinia Plotz (Germany). Southern California products Ava Knepper and Sofia Umeda are also tabbed as quick impact players for the Trojans in their first season ahead.
That new crew has many experienced leaders to lean on and learn from. Moon has established a leadership council of six returning Trojans — including team captains Maggie Johnson and Emma Lawson — who help support and set a high bar for the group. Seniors Kearns and Zimmerman are also on the council, along with junior Morgan Netherton and sophomore Gazzaniga. It's a mix of leaders by example and more vocal leaders to give the team a balanced, compassionate and competitive core.
"This is the dynamic of the team that I want," Moon said. "We're headed in the right direction. They're a pleasure to be around and to coach."
The versatility of USC's incoming class fits in well with the dynamic and team-centered approach Moon sees in his squad. The standout center play that Kearns and Yaacobi bring on the offensive end is balanced by the defensive savvy of Ausmus and Gazzaniga as guards. Additionally, the makeup of Moon's 2025 group allows for a variety of styles that are enhanced by the deepened talent pool at his disposal.
"The game is changing and we've got to be able to adapt," Moon said. "With this group, we have the freedom and ability to play both center-oriented and uptempo. I hope we're going to be a headache for the teams we play. We can pound the ball into center and open up the outside. And can also use our speed and play fast. We won't drop a beat from lineup to lineup."
While USC's center play will revolve around the skills of Kearns and Yaacobi at center — with others like Gazzaniga and Madison Haaland-Ford checking into the two-meter slot at times — the perimeter attack features a number of Trojan sharpshooters. Along with the more veteran talent of Netherton and Zimmerman, sophomores Gazzaniga, Stryker and Meghan McAninch have proven their worth on the perimeter, with further reinforcements coming in from Plotz, Ausmus and Kearns. Additional depth from the bench comes from Hannah Carver and Jelena Sarac, who scored their first goals as Trojans last season, along with another redshirt sophomore in Caitlin Cohen.
On the defensive end of the pool, USC also boasts a connected unit of goalies. Laine Hourigan and Jada Ward both have logged time in the cage the last two seasons. They're joined by two other Trojan goalies in redshirt freshmen Anna Reed and Lauren Schneider as USC's goalkeeping corps for 2025.
"The cohesion of the four is really good," Moon said. "They understand the difficulty of being a starting goalies and they push each other. They all have their strengths, and we want to give them confidence as we know they are all dying to play.
"I believe our cohesion as a team overall is really good and it shows when we play," Moon added. "I'm excited for the journey ahead of us."
All-Americans as freshmen, Rachel Gazzaniga and Ava Stryker are coming off a gold-medal run with Team USA at the recent Pan American Games alongside incoming freshman and 2024 Olympian Emily Ausmus. Two-time Olympian and 2024 silver medalist Tilly Kearns also plunges back into action at USC, where she is one of a five-woman senior class setting up for their final season as Trojans.
"Our five seniors together truly embody who we are as a program and our Trojan standards," Moon said of Kearns, Laine Hourigan, Emma Lawson, Sally McCarthy and Isabel Zimmerman. "They are joyful and competitive, mindful and compassionate. They are our Gorilla Glue with their experience and knowledge of being in this program and their ability to share that with our younger ones."
Along with Ausmus, who deferred her enrollment in 2023-24 to compete with Team USA in Paris, USC welcomes a total of five newcomers to the pool for this 2025 campaign. Also boasting international experience are true freshman Alma Yaacobi (Israel) and junior transfer Sinia Plotz (Germany). Southern California products Ava Knepper and Sofia Umeda are also tabbed as quick impact players for the Trojans in their first season ahead.
That new crew has many experienced leaders to lean on and learn from. Moon has established a leadership council of six returning Trojans — including team captains Maggie Johnson and Emma Lawson — who help support and set a high bar for the group. Seniors Kearns and Zimmerman are also on the council, along with junior Morgan Netherton and sophomore Gazzaniga. It's a mix of leaders by example and more vocal leaders to give the team a balanced, compassionate and competitive core.
"This is the dynamic of the team that I want," Moon said. "We're headed in the right direction. They're a pleasure to be around and to coach."
The versatility of USC's incoming class fits in well with the dynamic and team-centered approach Moon sees in his squad. The standout center play that Kearns and Yaacobi bring on the offensive end is balanced by the defensive savvy of Ausmus and Gazzaniga as guards. Additionally, the makeup of Moon's 2025 group allows for a variety of styles that are enhanced by the deepened talent pool at his disposal.
"The game is changing and we've got to be able to adapt," Moon said. "With this group, we have the freedom and ability to play both center-oriented and uptempo. I hope we're going to be a headache for the teams we play. We can pound the ball into center and open up the outside. And can also use our speed and play fast. We won't drop a beat from lineup to lineup."
While USC's center play will revolve around the skills of Kearns and Yaacobi at center — with others like Gazzaniga and Madison Haaland-Ford checking into the two-meter slot at times — the perimeter attack features a number of Trojan sharpshooters. Along with the more veteran talent of Netherton and Zimmerman, sophomores Gazzaniga, Stryker and Meghan McAninch have proven their worth on the perimeter, with further reinforcements coming in from Plotz, Ausmus and Kearns. Additional depth from the bench comes from Hannah Carver and Jelena Sarac, who scored their first goals as Trojans last season, along with another redshirt sophomore in Caitlin Cohen.
On the defensive end of the pool, USC also boasts a connected unit of goalies. Laine Hourigan and Jada Ward both have logged time in the cage the last two seasons. They're joined by two other Trojan goalies in redshirt freshmen Anna Reed and Lauren Schneider as USC's goalkeeping corps for 2025.
"The cohesion of the four is really good," Moon said. "They understand the difficulty of being a starting goalies and they push each other. They all have their strengths, and we want to give them confidence as we know they are all dying to play.
"I believe our cohesion as a team overall is really good and it shows when we play," Moon added. "I'm excited for the journey ahead of us."
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