MPSF Newcomer of the Year Emily Ausmus Leads Group of Four All-MPSF Honorees For USC Women’s Water Polo
April 24, 2025 | Women's Water Polo
Ausmus is the third Trojan to be named MPSF Newcomer of the Year, joined by Tilly Kearns, Rachel Gazzaniga and Alma Yaacobi for 2025 MPSF honors.
USC women's water polo freshman Emily Ausmus has become the third Trojan to be named MPSF Newcomer of the Year while she also has earned a spot on the All-MPSF First Team alongside senior Tilly Kearns as well as a place on the MPSF All-Newcomer Team alongside fellow freshman Alma Yaacobi. Sophomore Rachel Gazzaniga also is in on the action with All-MPSF Second Team honors, and Yaacobi also picked up All-MPSF Honorable Mention.
With her MPSF Newcomer of the Year award, Emily Ausmus continues to add to a historic season in joining former Trojans Paige Hauschild (2018) and Patricia Jancso (2010) as winners of that honor. A 2024 Olympian with Team USA, Ausmus is also on the 2025 Cutino Award Watch List in her first season at USC. One of just three Trojans to have broken the 90-goal barrier in a single season, she continues to expand on her new USC record for goals scored by a Trojan true freshman. She hit a career high of six goals in her first game as a Trojan, and has since tied that mark three more times this season. Ausmus has also collected seven MPSF Newcomer of the Week honors — tying former Trojan and fellow Olympian Paige Hauschild, who scored seven picks as a freshman in 2018. USC's top scorer this season so far with 96 goals, Ausmus also is one of USC's leaders in exclusions earned (29), assists (48) and field blocks (16). Ausmus also becomes the first USC true freshman to earn a place on the All-MPSF First Team since Amanda Longan in 2016.
Senior center Tilly Kearns is now a three-time All-MPSF First Team honoree. A 2024 Olympic silver medalist with Australia, Kearns also is on the 2025 Cutino Award Watch List in her final season at USC because of her impact as a two-way player. One of just six Trojans to have broken the 80-goal barrier in a single season, she continues to climb USC's career ladder, ranking No. 4 all-time in scoring at USC with 246 goals entering postseason play. Kearns has twice been named MPSF Player of the Week this season, the second time following a career-high seven-goal performance in a critical win over Stanford. Kearns also is USC's leader in steals (42) and drawn exclusions (42).
All-MPSF Second Team selection Rachel Gazzaniga grabs MPSF honors for the second straight season after earning All-MPSF Honorable Mention and a place on the MPSF All-Newcomer Team in her true freshman year. A defensive force for the Trojans, Gazzaniga also has scored 39 goals across 22 games this season, with 11 multi-goal games to date. The sophomore also matched her career high of four goals earlier this season against UCLA. Additionally, Gazzaniga is a team leader in exclusions earned (27) and steals (23).
Collecting her first career honors with All-MPSF Honorable Mention and a place on the MPSF All-Newcomer Team, freshman center Alma Yaacobi has made a name for herself on both ends of the pool. She ranks second on the team in exclusions earned with 41 on the season, and has punched up 39 goals, including the game-winner against Stanford last month. Yaacobi has scored in 20 different games with 15 multi-goal outings, including a career-high three goals in matches against CBU, Hawai'i, Harvard and Arizona State.
USC is set up as the No. 2 seed for the 2025 MPSF Tournament, opening up in the quarterfinals at 12:45 p.m. on Friday (April 25) against No. 7 seed Indiana. Semifinal rounds take place on Saturday (April 26) with the placement games set for Sunday (April 27) — all at UCLA's Spieker Aquatics Center in Westwood. USC is looking to win its eighth MPSF Tournament title, last achieved in 2021.
With her MPSF Newcomer of the Year award, Emily Ausmus continues to add to a historic season in joining former Trojans Paige Hauschild (2018) and Patricia Jancso (2010) as winners of that honor. A 2024 Olympian with Team USA, Ausmus is also on the 2025 Cutino Award Watch List in her first season at USC. One of just three Trojans to have broken the 90-goal barrier in a single season, she continues to expand on her new USC record for goals scored by a Trojan true freshman. She hit a career high of six goals in her first game as a Trojan, and has since tied that mark three more times this season. Ausmus has also collected seven MPSF Newcomer of the Week honors — tying former Trojan and fellow Olympian Paige Hauschild, who scored seven picks as a freshman in 2018. USC's top scorer this season so far with 96 goals, Ausmus also is one of USC's leaders in exclusions earned (29), assists (48) and field blocks (16). Ausmus also becomes the first USC true freshman to earn a place on the All-MPSF First Team since Amanda Longan in 2016.
Senior center Tilly Kearns is now a three-time All-MPSF First Team honoree. A 2024 Olympic silver medalist with Australia, Kearns also is on the 2025 Cutino Award Watch List in her final season at USC because of her impact as a two-way player. One of just six Trojans to have broken the 80-goal barrier in a single season, she continues to climb USC's career ladder, ranking No. 4 all-time in scoring at USC with 246 goals entering postseason play. Kearns has twice been named MPSF Player of the Week this season, the second time following a career-high seven-goal performance in a critical win over Stanford. Kearns also is USC's leader in steals (42) and drawn exclusions (42).
All-MPSF Second Team selection Rachel Gazzaniga grabs MPSF honors for the second straight season after earning All-MPSF Honorable Mention and a place on the MPSF All-Newcomer Team in her true freshman year. A defensive force for the Trojans, Gazzaniga also has scored 39 goals across 22 games this season, with 11 multi-goal games to date. The sophomore also matched her career high of four goals earlier this season against UCLA. Additionally, Gazzaniga is a team leader in exclusions earned (27) and steals (23).
Collecting her first career honors with All-MPSF Honorable Mention and a place on the MPSF All-Newcomer Team, freshman center Alma Yaacobi has made a name for herself on both ends of the pool. She ranks second on the team in exclusions earned with 41 on the season, and has punched up 39 goals, including the game-winner against Stanford last month. Yaacobi has scored in 20 different games with 15 multi-goal outings, including a career-high three goals in matches against CBU, Hawai'i, Harvard and Arizona State.
USC is set up as the No. 2 seed for the 2025 MPSF Tournament, opening up in the quarterfinals at 12:45 p.m. on Friday (April 25) against No. 7 seed Indiana. Semifinal rounds take place on Saturday (April 26) with the placement games set for Sunday (April 27) — all at UCLA's Spieker Aquatics Center in Westwood. USC is looking to win its eighth MPSF Tournament title, last achieved in 2021.
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