Saturday, March 15
San Diego, Calif.
9:20 a.m.
USC
0
17
vs
10
Harvard
0
1
2
3
4
F
Southern California
7
3
2
5
17
Harvard
3
2
2
3
10
Team Stats
USC
HU
Shots
33
10
Goals
17
10
Assists
12
0
Points
29
10
Exclusions
21
9
Steals
4
0
Sprints
0
0
1
Emily Ausmus
7:37
Meghan McAninch
6:49
Tilly Kearns
6:19
Maya O'Dea
5:57
Morgan Netherton
5:07
Emma Gilbert
3:17
Tilly Kearns
2:20
Tilly Kearns
1:38
Emma Gilbert
1:17
Emily Ausmus
0:03
2
Maya O'Dea
5:34
Maya O'Dea
5:04
Meghan McAninch
4:44
Tilly Kearns
4:17
Tilly Kearns
2:09
3
Niki Piovan
6:33
Alma Yaacobi
6:05
Emily Ausmus
3:09
Kaity Greenwald
0:35
4
Alma Yaacobi
7:38
Ava Stryker
6:58
Niki Piovan
5:13
Meghan McAninch
4:56
Alma Yaacobi
4:05
Sofia Del Villar
3:35
Meghan McAninch
2:13
Lucy Berkman
1:28
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
7
Goals
5
Assists
1
Points
6
Shots
6
Goals
4
Assists
1
Points
5
Shots
5
Goals
3
Assists
2
Points
5
Shots
4
Goals
3
Assists
0
Points
3
Players Mentioned
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
C
/ Women's Water PoloC
/ Women's Water PoloATT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
C
/ Women's Water Polo
Photo by: Nicole Hourigan
No. 2 USC Women’s Water Polo Tops Off Aztec Invite With Two More Wins
March 15, 2025 | Women's Water Polo
Trojans improve to 21-1 overall with some big offensive efforts against Harvard and Michigan in San Diego.
SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – The No. 2 USC women's water polo team cross the 20-win mark for the 25th time in program history in scoring two more wins in action at the Aztec Invitational in San Diego. Today's winning power moves came with a 17-10 victory over No. 8 Harvard and an 18-7 win over No. 16 Michigan at Aztec Aquaplex. With big numbers today, USC's Emily Ausmus and Tilly Kearns have now combined for 145 goals this season so far for the 21-1 Trojans.
USC unleashed the first three goals of its morning matchup with Harvard and gripped a 7-3 lead after eight minutes of action thanks in part to an early hat trick from Tilly Kearns and a pair of goals from Emily Ausmus for the Trojan cause. Harvard opened the second with back-to-back goals to get to within two, only to see the Trojans regroup and respond with three straight scores — one from Meghan McAninch and two more from Kearns to get the senior five on the day and up to No. 4 all-time in career scoring at USC. Up 10-5 at halftime, USC's pace cooled a bit as the teams stayed in stride to a 12-7 margin at the close of the third. But the Trojans punched up four goals around a single strike from Harvard before the 2-minute mark as Alma Yaacobi and McAninch both got to a hat trick to help USC lead it 16-8. The Crimson cashed in twice more in the remaining time, while McAninsh rang up her fourth, and USC had a 17-10 victory — its 20th of the season — in the books.
A few hours later, USC went right back to work in a clash against Michigan. Again, USC rang up a 3-0 advantage out of the gates, although Michigan got on the board before the end of the first. An offensive explosion in the second quarter saw the Trojans pin up nine goals, including three from Stryker and two from Kearns and Ausmus, to craft a 12-5 halftime lead for USC. Trojan goalie Anna Reed built a wall in the cage in the third, helping to shut out the Wolverines while Kearns, Stryker and Ausmus delivered on the offensive end to take USC out ahead 15-5 entering the fourth. USC stayed the course down the stretch as Alma Yaacobi knocked in two for the Trojans and Sinia Plotz topped off the Trojan scoring with a 5-meter penalty shot, and USC finished out its time in San Diego with an 18-7 win over the Wolverines.
NEXT:
USC has two more tests next week, first heading to Berkeley for an MPSF meeting at Cal on Saturday (March 22) at 1 p.m. The Trojans will then return to Uytengsu Aquatics Center to set up for a nonconference clash against Brown at 1 p.m. on Sunday (March 23).
NOTABLE:
- With three goals scored vs. Harvard, FR Emily Ausmus broke the record for most goals scored by a USC true freshman, which was held by Paige Hauschild (68).
- With three more goals scored vs. Michigan today, Ausmus now has 75 goals scored this season — the sixth most single-season goals by a Trojan.
- Ausmus has now recorded multiple-goal games in 21 of USC's 22 games this season.
- With goals in both games today, Ausmus and SO Ava Stryker have scored in all 22 games this season.
- Now with 55 goals scored this season, Stryker is the third Trojan to record at least 50 goals this season — the fifth time in program history that USC has had three or more players score 50+ in a season.
- With five goals scored vs. Harvard, SR Tilly Kearns has now recorded a team-high six games with five or more goals scored this season.
- With four more goals vs. Michigan, Kearns has scored 70 goals this season — bettering her previous single-season personal high of 69 scored in 2023.
- Kearns now has scored 232 career goals at USC — now ranked No. 4 all-time.
- With three goals scored vs. Harvard, FR Alma Yaacobi tied her career high.
- With nine saves vs. Michigan, RS FR Anna Reed set a new career high.
- In shutting out Michigan in the third period, USC has now shut out opponents in nine different periods this season.
AZTEC INVITATIONAL
GAME THREE
#2 USC 17, #8 Harvard 10
Saturday, March 15 | Aztec Aquaplex (San Diego, Calif.)
USC 7 - 3 - 2 - 5 = 17
HAR 3 - 2 - 2 - 3 - 10
SCORING:
USC — Tilly Kearns 5, Meghan McAninch 4, Alma Yaacobi 3, Emily Ausmus 3, Morgan Netherton, Ava Stryker.
HAR — Maya O'Dea 3, Emma Gilbert 2, Niki Piovan 2, Lucy Berkman, Kaity Greenwald, Sofia Del Villar.
SAVES: Jada Ward (USC) 5, Orli Cooper (HAR) n/a.
GAME FOUR
#2 USC 18, #16 Michigan 7
Saturday, March 15 | Aztec Aquaplex (San Diego, Calif.)
USC 3 - 9 - 3 - 3 = 18
MICH 1 - 4 - 0 - 2 = 7
SCORING:
USC — Ava Stryker 4, Tilly Kearns 4, Emily Ausmus 4, Morgan Netherton 2, Alma Yaacobi 2, Rachel Gazzaniga, Sinia Plotz.
MICH — Emma Gustafson 3, Ari Karampetsou 2, Tilly Waugh, Maddy Scarth.
SAVES: Anna Reed (USC) 9, Sophia Bunnell (MICH) n/a.
USC unleashed the first three goals of its morning matchup with Harvard and gripped a 7-3 lead after eight minutes of action thanks in part to an early hat trick from Tilly Kearns and a pair of goals from Emily Ausmus for the Trojan cause. Harvard opened the second with back-to-back goals to get to within two, only to see the Trojans regroup and respond with three straight scores — one from Meghan McAninch and two more from Kearns to get the senior five on the day and up to No. 4 all-time in career scoring at USC. Up 10-5 at halftime, USC's pace cooled a bit as the teams stayed in stride to a 12-7 margin at the close of the third. But the Trojans punched up four goals around a single strike from Harvard before the 2-minute mark as Alma Yaacobi and McAninch both got to a hat trick to help USC lead it 16-8. The Crimson cashed in twice more in the remaining time, while McAninsh rang up her fourth, and USC had a 17-10 victory — its 20th of the season — in the books.
A few hours later, USC went right back to work in a clash against Michigan. Again, USC rang up a 3-0 advantage out of the gates, although Michigan got on the board before the end of the first. An offensive explosion in the second quarter saw the Trojans pin up nine goals, including three from Stryker and two from Kearns and Ausmus, to craft a 12-5 halftime lead for USC. Trojan goalie Anna Reed built a wall in the cage in the third, helping to shut out the Wolverines while Kearns, Stryker and Ausmus delivered on the offensive end to take USC out ahead 15-5 entering the fourth. USC stayed the course down the stretch as Alma Yaacobi knocked in two for the Trojans and Sinia Plotz topped off the Trojan scoring with a 5-meter penalty shot, and USC finished out its time in San Diego with an 18-7 win over the Wolverines.
NEXT:
USC has two more tests next week, first heading to Berkeley for an MPSF meeting at Cal on Saturday (March 22) at 1 p.m. The Trojans will then return to Uytengsu Aquatics Center to set up for a nonconference clash against Brown at 1 p.m. on Sunday (March 23).
NOTABLE:
- With three goals scored vs. Harvard, FR Emily Ausmus broke the record for most goals scored by a USC true freshman, which was held by Paige Hauschild (68).
- With three more goals scored vs. Michigan today, Ausmus now has 75 goals scored this season — the sixth most single-season goals by a Trojan.
- Ausmus has now recorded multiple-goal games in 21 of USC's 22 games this season.
- With goals in both games today, Ausmus and SO Ava Stryker have scored in all 22 games this season.
- Now with 55 goals scored this season, Stryker is the third Trojan to record at least 50 goals this season — the fifth time in program history that USC has had three or more players score 50+ in a season.
- With five goals scored vs. Harvard, SR Tilly Kearns has now recorded a team-high six games with five or more goals scored this season.
- With four more goals vs. Michigan, Kearns has scored 70 goals this season — bettering her previous single-season personal high of 69 scored in 2023.
- Kearns now has scored 232 career goals at USC — now ranked No. 4 all-time.
- With three goals scored vs. Harvard, FR Alma Yaacobi tied her career high.
- With nine saves vs. Michigan, RS FR Anna Reed set a new career high.
- In shutting out Michigan in the third period, USC has now shut out opponents in nine different periods this season.
AZTEC INVITATIONAL
GAME THREE
#2 USC 17, #8 Harvard 10
Saturday, March 15 | Aztec Aquaplex (San Diego, Calif.)
USC 7 - 3 - 2 - 5 = 17
HAR 3 - 2 - 2 - 3 - 10
SCORING:
USC — Tilly Kearns 5, Meghan McAninch 4, Alma Yaacobi 3, Emily Ausmus 3, Morgan Netherton, Ava Stryker.
HAR — Maya O'Dea 3, Emma Gilbert 2, Niki Piovan 2, Lucy Berkman, Kaity Greenwald, Sofia Del Villar.
SAVES: Jada Ward (USC) 5, Orli Cooper (HAR) n/a.
GAME FOUR
#2 USC 18, #16 Michigan 7
Saturday, March 15 | Aztec Aquaplex (San Diego, Calif.)
USC 3 - 9 - 3 - 3 = 18
MICH 1 - 4 - 0 - 2 = 7
SCORING:
USC — Ava Stryker 4, Tilly Kearns 4, Emily Ausmus 4, Morgan Netherton 2, Alma Yaacobi 2, Rachel Gazzaniga, Sinia Plotz.
MICH — Emma Gustafson 3, Ari Karampetsou 2, Tilly Waugh, Maddy Scarth.
SAVES: Anna Reed (USC) 9, Sophia Bunnell (MICH) n/a.
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