No. 3 USC Sweeps LIU, Villanova At Convergence Tournament

Saturday, March 7

Claremont, Calif.

11:00 a.m.

USC

LIU

Long Island University

Southern California

Photo by: Nicole Hourigan

No. 3 USC Sweeps LIU, Villanova At Convergence Tournament

March 07, 2026 | Women's Water Polo

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The USC women's water polo team concluded play at the Convergence Tournament on Saturday with two wins over the LIU Sharks and the Villanova Wildcats. The Trojans outscored the two opponents 48-13 to stretch their win streak to six games.

#3 USC 30, LIU 8
The Women of Troy offense continued its hot stretch against Long Island University with a dominant 30-8 win.

The Trojans wasted no time getting on the board. After winning the opening sprint, USC jumped ahead with goals from Alma Yaacobi and Emily Ausmus, quickly building momentum. Yaacobi struck twice early while Rachel Gazzaniga and Ava Knepper added goals to stretch the lead. USC's offense moved the ball well through the opening quarter, with EJ Hourigan contributing a goal and an assist as the Trojans pushed ahead despite a few LIU responses. By the end of the first period, USC had established control with an 8-4 advantage.

The second quarter turned into a scoring surge for the Trojans. Hannah Carver opened the period with a power play goal, and USC continued to stack goals through Emily Ausmus, Ava Knepper, Morgan Netherton, and EJ Hourigan. USC capitalized on defensive pressure as well, forcing multiple LIU turnovers that led to transition opportunities. Ausmus added another tally on the power play, and the Trojans continued to spread the scoring around late in the quarter with goals from Caitlin Cohen, Kara Carver, and Hourigan. USC carried a commanding 16-5 lead into halftime.

USC extended the gap in the third period with another offensive burst. Jelena Sarac scored on the power play early, followed by a man-up goal from Natalia Blazavic. The Trojans kept the pressure on as Sinia Plotz, Rachel Gazzaniga, and Morgan Netherton each found the back of the net. Yaacobi added another goal midway through the period, and EJ Hourigan capped the stretch with a late score as USC extended its lead.

The Trojans continued their depth scoring in the fourth quarter. Meghan McAninch recorded a hat trick during the final frame, including a power play conversion, while Jelena Sarac, Natalia Blazevic, and Caitlin Cohen also added goals. Despite a few late scores from LIU, USC maintained control as the offense continued to generate chances across the lineup. Cohen's goal in the final seconds sealed the victory.

Notables

EJ Hourigan recorded the first multiple goal outing of her career with three goals. Hourigan also matched her career high with four assists for a seven point outing.
Emily Ausmus tallied three goals for her 13th multiple goal game of the season and her 11th straight
Jelena Sarac recorded a career high three goals
The Trojans' offense racked up 30 goals in the win, the first time reaching the mark since a 30-5 win over Biola at the 2025 Barbara Kalbus Invitational.
Six different players recorded a hat trick in the win.
USC went 30-37 on shots for an .811 shooting percentage.
The Women of Troy held the Sharks to just one powerplay goal on nine opportunities.
Anna Reed made seven saves in the cage and held LIU to just eight goals, including a shutout third frame.

Scoring: Alma Yaacobi (3), Emily Ausmus (3), Megan McAninch (3), Rachel Gazzaniga (3), Jelena Sarac (3), EJ Hourigan (3), Morgan Netherton (2), Caitlin Cohen (2), Ava Knepper (2), Hannah Carver (2), Natalia Blazevic (2), Sinia Plotz (1), Kara Carver (1)

Saves: Anna Reed (7)

#3 USC 18, Villanova 5
The Women of Troy bounced back from an early deficit to defeat Villanova 18-5.

The Trojans struck first in the opening period when Alma Yaacobi found the back of the net early to give USC a 1-0 lead. Villanova responded with three straight goals to briefly move in front. USC answered late in the quarter as Morgan Netherton finished a possession to cut the deficit to 3-2 heading into the second period.

USC found its rhythm in the second quarter and began to take control of the game. Yaacobi tied the match early before Meghan McAninch converted a five-meter penalty to give the Trojans the lead. McAninch added another goal moments later, and Emily Ausmus followed with a power-play finish as USC built momentum. Ashley Kwan contributed two goals during the stretch while McAninch completed a hat trick to help USC pull ahead 9-4 by halftime.

The Trojans carried that momentum into the third period. Yaacobi opened the half with another goal, and Ausmus added to the advantage midway through the quarter. Gazzaniga and Natalia Blazevic also scored during the frame as USC continued to control possession and extend its lead. Villanova managed a penalty-shot goal early in the period, but USC maintained its pace on both ends of the pool to enter the final quarter with a comfortable margin.

USC added three more goals in the fourth period to close out the win. Sofia Umeda, Madison Haaland-Ford, and Kwan each found the back of the cage down the stretch as the Trojans sealed the 18-5 victory.

Notables

Lauren Schneider made her first start of the season in goal. The redshirt sophomore racked up nine saves and shutout the Wildcats in the final quarter of play.
Ashley Kwan tallied four goals for a new career high.
Villanova's five goals is the fifth straight game the USC defense has held an opponent to single digit scoring
Hourigan racked up a team high six steals
Meghan McAninch lead the offense with six total points coming on three goals and three assists
Alma Yaacobi went a perfect 4-for-4 in the game
Jelena Sarac posted a new career high three assists

Scoring: Alma Yaacobi (4), Ashley Kwan (4), Megan McAninch (3), Emily Ausmus (2), Madison Haaland-Ford (1), Morgan Netherton (1), Sofia Umeda (1), Rachel Gazzaniga (1), Natalia Blazevic (1)

Saves: Lauren Schneider (9)

Up Next
USC will return to MPSF play with a matchup versus Arizona State on Saturday, March 14. From there the Trojans will head west for their spring break training trip which includes a game against Hawaii. Arizona State and Hawaii stand as tough road tests for the Women of Troy as both teams are ranked in the top ten at No. 5 and No. 6 respectively in the most recent CWPA poll.