Saturday, March 8
Los Angeles, Calif.
1:00 p.m.
USC
17-1
21
vs
12
Indiana
12-5
1
2
3
4
F
Indiana
5
2
0
5
12
Southern California
6
5
4
6
21
Team Stats
IU
USC
Shots
30
36
Goals
12
21
Assists
6
12
Points
18
33
Exclusions
9
15
Steals
9
13
Sprints
0
4
1
Tilly Kearns
7:43
Emily Ausmus
6:24
Rachel Gazzaniga
5:05
Grace Klingler
4:40
Alma Yaacobi
4:24
Grace Hathaway
4:06
Nancy Baylor-Sefchick
3:24
Tilly Kearns
3:04
Grace Hathaway
1:25
Emily Ausmus
0:47
Olivia Stark
0:01
2
Meghan McAninch
7:40
Louisa Downes
7:10
Team
6:30
Emily Ausmus
6:13
Tilly Kearns
3:42
Tilly Kearns
2:00
Emily Ausmus
0:03
3
Emily Ausmus
7:19
Rachel Gazzaniga
6:38
Ava Stryker
1:48
Ava Knepper
0:27
4
Rachel Gazzaniga
7:33
Tilly Kearns
7:08
Morgan Netherton
5:48
Morgan Netherton
5:06
Sophia Sollie
4:52
Emma Lawson
4:25
Team
3:19
Keira Blitzer
1:44
Helga Terol Salvi
1:01
Grace Klingler
0:33
Alma Yaacobi
0:05
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
7
Goals
5
Assists
2
Points
7
Shots
6
Goals
5
Assists
1
Points
6
Shots
5
Goals
3
Assists
0
Points
3
Shots
4
Goals
2
Assists
1
Points
3
Players Mentioned
ATT
/ Women's Water PoloC
/ Women's Water PoloC
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water PoloATT
/ Women's Water Polo
ATT
/ Women's Water Polo
C
/ Women's Water Polo
Photo by: Drake Lee
No. 2 USC Women’s Water Polo Opens Conference Play With A Win Over The Hoosiers
March 08, 2025 | Women's Water Polo
Emily Ausmus and Tilly Kearns score five goals each in the MPSF win against No. 15 Indiana.
LOS ANGELES – The No. 2 USC women's water polo team defeated visiting No. 15 Indiana 21-12 at Uytengsu Aquatics Center today to open MPSF conference play, moving to 17-1 on the season. The Trojans and Hoosiers opened the game trading goals back and forth until USC dominated in the second half to collect the win.
Scores from Tilly Kearns and Rachel Gazzaniga from the field and an Emily Ausmus 5-meter penalty conversion put the Trojans up to a quick 3-0 lead to kick off the first. Indiana came back with a goal on the power play, which Alma Yaacobi answered with her own score on the next USC possession. The Hoosiers would collect two back-to-back goals to bring the gap to 4-3, only to see Kearns widen the USC lead with her second score of the day. Another Ausmus goal and two Indiana 5-meter penalty conversions would bring the score to 6-5 Trojans at the end of the first period.
The goal-trading would continue through the first two minutes of the second period, with Meghan McAninch scoring on the first drive and two back-to-back Hoosier follow-ups. But once Ausmus collected her hat trick on the penalty with 6:13 left in the second, the Trojans shut out Indiana until almost four minutes into the fourth frame. USC goalie Jada Ward's steal and two blocks in the second, along with more offensive firepower from Kearns and Ausmus, would put USC up 11-7 at the half.
The Trojans kept Indiana scoreless in the third, with Ausmus collecting her fifth goal of the game and Gazzaniga, Ava Stryker and Ava Knepper adding their names to the scoresheet. The fourth opened with Gazzaniga notching her own hat trick, and Kearns hitting a 5-meter penalty shot to bring her personal tally to five goals and the score to 17-7. Morgan Netherton then tallied back-to-back blasts, the second off an Anna Reed steal, before the Hoosiers would come back on a 6-on-5 conversion. But with an Emma Lawson slam and Yaacobi's second goal with five seconds left, Indiana could only bring the deficit to 21-12 before the end of regulation.
NEXT:
The Trojans will head to San Diego, Calif. next weekend to compete at the Aztec Invitational from Friday, March 14 to Saturday, March 15.
NOTABLE:
- With five goals today, SR Tilly Kearns moves officially to No. 5 all-time in career scoring at USC with 220 career goals.
- Aith five goals today, FR Emily Ausmus now has scored 63 goals this season — third most in USC history by a USC true freshman.
- Ausmus has now recorded multiple-goal games in 17 of USC's 18 games this season.
- With their goals today, Ausmus and SO Ava Stryker have scored in all 18 games this season.
USC – Emily Ausmus 5, Tilly Kearns 5, Rachel Gazzaniga 3, Morgan Netherton 2, Alma Yaacobi 2, Ava Knepper, Emma Lawson, Meghan McAninch, Ava Stryker.
IU – Grace Hathaway 2, Nicole Tyner 2, Grace Klingler 2, Nancy Baylor-Sefchick, Keira Blitzer, Louisa Downes, Sophia Sollie, Olivia Stark, Helga Terol Salvi.
SAVES: Jada Ward (USC) 5 [first half], Anna Reed (USC) 2 [second half]; Jasmine Higgs (IU) 4 [first half], Audrey Cox (IU) 2 [second half].
Scores from Tilly Kearns and Rachel Gazzaniga from the field and an Emily Ausmus 5-meter penalty conversion put the Trojans up to a quick 3-0 lead to kick off the first. Indiana came back with a goal on the power play, which Alma Yaacobi answered with her own score on the next USC possession. The Hoosiers would collect two back-to-back goals to bring the gap to 4-3, only to see Kearns widen the USC lead with her second score of the day. Another Ausmus goal and two Indiana 5-meter penalty conversions would bring the score to 6-5 Trojans at the end of the first period.
The goal-trading would continue through the first two minutes of the second period, with Meghan McAninch scoring on the first drive and two back-to-back Hoosier follow-ups. But once Ausmus collected her hat trick on the penalty with 6:13 left in the second, the Trojans shut out Indiana until almost four minutes into the fourth frame. USC goalie Jada Ward's steal and two blocks in the second, along with more offensive firepower from Kearns and Ausmus, would put USC up 11-7 at the half.
The Trojans kept Indiana scoreless in the third, with Ausmus collecting her fifth goal of the game and Gazzaniga, Ava Stryker and Ava Knepper adding their names to the scoresheet. The fourth opened with Gazzaniga notching her own hat trick, and Kearns hitting a 5-meter penalty shot to bring her personal tally to five goals and the score to 17-7. Morgan Netherton then tallied back-to-back blasts, the second off an Anna Reed steal, before the Hoosiers would come back on a 6-on-5 conversion. But with an Emma Lawson slam and Yaacobi's second goal with five seconds left, Indiana could only bring the deficit to 21-12 before the end of regulation.
NEXT:
The Trojans will head to San Diego, Calif. next weekend to compete at the Aztec Invitational from Friday, March 14 to Saturday, March 15.
NOTABLE:
- With five goals today, SR Tilly Kearns moves officially to No. 5 all-time in career scoring at USC with 220 career goals.
- Aith five goals today, FR Emily Ausmus now has scored 63 goals this season — third most in USC history by a USC true freshman.
- Ausmus has now recorded multiple-goal games in 17 of USC's 18 games this season.
- With their goals today, Ausmus and SO Ava Stryker have scored in all 18 games this season.
#2 USC 21, #15 Indiana 12\
Saturday, March 8 | Uytengsu Aquatics Center
USC 6 - 5 - 4 - 6 = 21
IU 5 - 2 - 0 - 5 = 12
USC – Emily Ausmus 5, Tilly Kearns 5, Rachel Gazzaniga 3, Morgan Netherton 2, Alma Yaacobi 2, Ava Knepper, Emma Lawson, Meghan McAninch, Ava Stryker.
IU – Grace Hathaway 2, Nicole Tyner 2, Grace Klingler 2, Nancy Baylor-Sefchick, Keira Blitzer, Louisa Downes, Sophia Sollie, Olivia Stark, Helga Terol Salvi.
SAVES: Jada Ward (USC) 5 [first half], Anna Reed (USC) 2 [second half]; Jasmine Higgs (IU) 4 [first half], Audrey Cox (IU) 2 [second half].
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