No. 1 USC Takes Down No. 3 UCLA In The Battle Of LA

Saturday, April 4

Los Angeles Calif.

1:00 p.m.

USC

21-2

UCLA

18-3

UCLA (W)

USC (W)

Photo by: John McGillen

No. 1 USC Takes Down No. 3 UCLA In The Battle Of LA

April 04, 2026 | Women's Water Polo

Box Score

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The No. 1 USC women's water polo team battled through a back-and-forth rivalry matchup to take down No. 3 UCLA, using a dominant second half and timely counterattack goals to secure a 13–11 win.

#1 USC 13, #3 UCLA 11
The Trojans struck first after winning the opening sprint, with Ava Stryker finishing a quick possession to give USC the early edge. UCLA responded with three unanswered goals to take a 3-1 lead late in the first, capitalizing on a penalty. USC stayed within reach with the help of Anna Reed in the cage, but trailed 3-1 at the end of the opening frame.

USC began to find its rhythm in the second quarter. Emily Ausmus converted a penalty opportunity to spark the offense, and Alma Yaacobi tied the match at 3-3 off an assist from EJ Hourigan. The Trojans continued to generate chances on the power play, with Ava Stryker converting on a 6-on-5 opportunity and Ausmus adding a counterattack goal late in the period. USC carried that momentum into halftime with a narrow 5-4 lead.

The third quarter stayed tight, with both teams trading goals early. Rachel Gazzaniga put USC back in front with a quick strike to open the frame, while Ausmus added another on a 6-on-5 opportunity following strong work from Maggie Johnson to earn the exclusion. Behind multiple key saves from Reed and defensive stops, USC maintained control and held a 7–6 advantage heading into the final period.

USC took command in the fourth with a decisive stretch fueled by its counterattack. Goals from Ava Stryker, Natalia Blazevic, Yaacobi, and Ausmus helped the Trojans build separation, extending the lead to four. Reed anchored the defense with multiple saves during UCLA's push, while USC continued to convert in transition.

UCLA made a late surge, scoring three of the final four goals to cut into the deficit, but USC held firm down the stretch. Gazzaniga and Ausmus each delivered key late scores, including a penalty conversion from Ausmus, to seal the rivalry win.

Notables

Emily Ausmus led the Trojans with five goals on six shots.
Ava Stryker recorded her ninth hat trick of the season.
Alma Yaacobi provided a strong defensive presence with a career high three field blocks and one steal.
Rachel Gazzaniga and Natalia Blazevic each added a pair of blocks as the Trojans put up 11 in the contest, their highest in a single game this season.
With the win, USC extended their win streak to 11 straight games. The Trojans also finished the regular season undefeated in conference play to clinch the top seed in the MPSF Tournament.

Scoring: Emily Ausmus (5), Ava Stryker (3), Alma Yaacobi (2), Rachel Gazzaniga (2), Natalia Blazevic (1)

Saves: Anna Reed (7)

Up Next
The Women of Troy will head to the MPSF Conference Tournament, which is being hosted by California, from April 10-12. With a 6-0 conference record, the Trojans earned a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 4 California vs No. 5 Arizona State. The semi final game is set for Saturday, April 11th at 12:45 p.m.