Trojans Sweep ACWPC Major Awards, Five Women Of Troy Earn All-America Accolades

Trojans Sweep ACWPC Major Awards, Five Women Of Troy Earn All-America Accolades

May 21, 2026 | Women's Water Polo

Ausmus, Moon and Lee headline USC’s haul of ACWPC honors following 2026 title

IRVINE, Calif. – Following a strong campaign that culminated in a 2026 National Championship, the USC women's water polo team swept the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches' (ACWPC) major awards and had five Trojans named to ACWPC All-America Teams. For the second time in the last three seasons, USC had five Trojans collect ACWPC All-America honors.

Emily Ausmus earned Player of the Year accolades while Casey Moon and Christopher Lee were named Coach of the Year and Assistant Coach of the Year respectively. Ausmus was joined on the First Team by Alma Yaacobi, while Rachel Gazzaniga was named to the Second Team. Ava Stryker earned Third Team recognition, while Maggie Johnson rounded out the group as an Honorable Mention.

Ausmus led the Trojans in goals for the second straight season with 77 and totaled 107 points on the year. She helped guide USC to the program's eighth national championship and first since 2021 with a dominant performance throughout the NCAA Tournament. Ausmus recorded nine points on six goals and three assists on her way to earning NCAA Tournament MVP and NCAA All-Tournament First Team honors.

Ausmus also became the first player in MPSF women's water polo history to follow a Newcomer of the Year campaign with MPSF/Delfina Player of the Year honors in consecutive seasons. The All-MPSF First Team selection added 39 steals and posted a 27-2 record in sprints this season. Ausmus is the program's sixth National Player of the Year honoree.

Moon and Lee helped lead the Trojans to a 25-3 record and the top ranking in the country. USC went undefeated in conference play to claim the number one seed in the MPSF tournament. The Trojans took down LMU, crosstown rival UCLA and California – all top 10 teams in the final poll – to win the program's eighth National Championship. USC ended the year with 20 ranked wins, defeated 13 top-10 opponents, along with eight wins over top-five teams.

This is Moon's first National Coach of the Year honor, and he is the third USC coach to be recognized.

The 2026 season was Lee's first with the Trojans. Lee brought 14 years of collegiate coaching experience with him to USC and worked with teams that amassed eight NCAA appearances. Prior to joining the Trojans, Lee helped Pomona-Pitzer win the 2023 Division III National Championship.

Yaacobi earned the first All-America honors of her career following a strong 2026 season. Yaacobi joined Ausmus on the First Team, marking the second consecutive year the Trojans have had two members on the top list. The sophomore center racked up 41 goals and added 37 drawn exclusions on the season. On the defensive side, Yaacobi tallied 20 steals and four blocks. Earlier this year, Yaacobi was named to the All-MPSF Second Team and MPSF All-Tournament Team.

Gazzaniga was a force at center for the Trojans, drawing a team-high 39 exclusions and scoring 42 goals. The junior out of North Tustin, Calif. contributed 28 assists for 70 total points, good for fifth on the USC squad. Gazzaniga added 22 steals and 12 blocks to the stat sheet for USC. This marks the third straight year Gazzaniga has earned All-America honors. Gazzaniga also took home All-MPSF First Team and NCAA Tournament Second Team accolades.

For the third time in her career, Stryker was named an All-American, earning Third Team honors this year. Stryker scored the third most goals on the team with 47 and added 31 helpers throughout the 2026 campaign. Her 78 points were good for the fourth most by a Trojan this season. Stryker went a perfect 12-0 on sprints, and she also drew 13 exclusions on offense. On the opposite side of the ball, the junior attacker grabbed 18 steals and made 13 blocks. Stryker was also named to the NCAA All-Tournament First Team and All-MPSF Honorable Mention.

Three-time senior captain Maggie Johnson capped off her USC career with a bang, earning her first career All-America honors. The 2026 All-America Honorable Mention led the MPSF in assists with 58 total assists and tacked on 27 goals. Johnson recorded 20 steals and six blocks on defense while leading the Trojans to a National Championship to round out her water polo career.