Meet the Stars of Women’s Water Polo from Week 3

Week 3 of collegiate women’s water polo action saw Top 10 teams continue to soar and several players step into the spotlight. Here’s a look at the standout efforts from last week.

Scoring From All Over

#1 USC rolled to 12-0 on the year and to the Triton Invitational title to highlight Week 3 NCAA women’s water polo action. The Trojans have piled up 191 goals on the year with a variety of players getting onto the scoreboard.

Last weekend, 12 players scored in a 15-4 win over Pomona-Pitzer to open the Trojans’ run to another Triton Invitational title on Saturday. Four players – Maud Megens, Kelsey McIntosh, Paige Hauschild and Kaylee Brownsberger – put in two goals apiece.

In the Trojans’ second match of the day, Megens and Alejandra Aznar notched hat tricks among 10 scorers in a 16-5 win over #13 Loyola Marymount.

On Sunday, Megens tacked on four goals in a 10-3 win over #8 Michigan in the Triton Invite semifinals. USC then got three goal efforts from Hauschild and Denise Mammolito in a 10-3 win over #3 UCLA In the championship match.

Other top scoring efforts included:

  • #3 UCLA – Val Ayala netted a hat trick in the team’s 10-3 semifinal win over #6 UC Irvine at the Triton Invitational. Maddie Musselman put in four goals against UC Davis, while Ava Johnson scored four against Santa Clara.
  • #4 Cal – Emma Wright netted four goals, while Sarah Siepker and Hannah DeRose added hat tricks in the team’s lone match of the win, a 15-11 win over #10 Pacific.
  • #9 Arizona State – Bente Rogge racked up a team-best 12 goals in four games at the Triton Invitational, including five scorers against #22 San Diego State.
  • #7 UC Santa Barbara – Amanda Legaspi turned in a hat trick as the Gauchos bested #11 UC Davis 11-5.
  • #11 UC Davis – Annie Kutt put in three goals for the Aggies in an 11-7 win over #25 Marist.
  • #13 Loyola Marymount – Marialena Seletopoulou bagged three goals in an 8-6 loss to #9 Arizona State on Sunday
  • #20 UC San Diego – Grace Pevehouse poured in three goals, all in the first half, as the Tritons best #16 Long Beach State on Sunday to claim ninth place in their home invitational. Bennett Bugelli snagged a career-high 13 saves in the match. Earlier in the day, Taylor Onstott recorded a hat trick in a 12-7 win over #25 Marist.
  • RV Brown – Lily Keck had a hat trick as the Bears blasted Iona 15-3 on Saturday
  • Siena – Kristen Burger paced the Saints with six goals in the team’s first win of the season, an 18-6 effort against conference foe LaSalle on Saturday. The Saints also got hat tricks from Biance Prinsloo (4) and Diana Fernandez (3).

Conference Player of the Week Honorees

Big West

Player of the Week: Tara Prentice, UC Irvine

  • Put in a team-best 10 goals as the Anteaters went 2-2 at the Triton Invitational; scored multiple goals in all four matches, including a game-high four in an 11-7 win over #7 UC Santa Barbara; posted two goals apiece in a 15-4 win over Cal State East Bay, an 11-6 loss to #3 UCLA and a 9-8 loss to #8 Michigan.

Collegiate Water Polo Association

Player of the Week: Ani Aghakhanian, Saint Francis

  • Registered 11 goals and three steals with 10 exclusions draw as the Red Flash went 3-1 at the Bucknell Invitational; scored one goal in a 21-3 loss to #18 Wagner; tallied four scores in a 9-7 win over LaSalle and in an 8-6 loss to Gannon; finished off the weekend with two more goals in a 12-10 win over Salem.

Rookie of the Week: Abby Andrews, Michigan

  • Helped the Wolverines to third place at the Triton Invitational with 6 goals, 8 assists and 7 steals; notched a goal, two assists and three steals in a 14-5 win over #21 Cal State Northridge; added two goals, two assists and three steals in a 6-5 win over #9 Arizona State; posted an assist and a steal in a 10-3 loss to #1 USC; rounded out the week with a three-goal, three-assist effort in a 9-8 win in the third place match vs. #6 UC Irvine.

Golden Coast Conference

Player of the Week: Callie Woodruff, Fresno State

  • Helped lead the Bulldogs in a 23-4 win over Fresno Pacific, tying her career high with five goals on five shots; added an assist and a steal as Fresno State set a single game goals record.

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

Offensive Player of the Week/Rookie of the Week: Sofia Diaz Alvarez, Wagner

  • Scored 20 goals and dished out five assists over four games at the Bucknell Invitational as the Seahawks beat #25 Bucknell, Saint Francis and Gannon.

Defensive Player of the Week: Carsen Horvatich, Marist

  • Made 30 saves and added two steals as the Red Foxes went 2-2 at the Triton Invitational; blocked 10 shots in the win over #21 Cal State Northridge.

Mountain Pacific Sports Federation 

Player of the Week: Amanda Longan, USC

  • Had three consecutive double-digit save efforts as #1 USC won the Triton Invite title; notched seven shutout periods of work; posted three saves and did not allow a goal in one half of action against Pomona-Pitzer; snagged 10 saves in three periods against #13 Loyola Marymount; registered a season-high 14 saves in the 10-3 win over #8 Michigan in the semifinal; added 11 stops in championship match win over # UCLA.

Newcomer of the Week: Alejandra Aznar, USC

  • Scored six goals in leading USC to the Triton Invite title; scored one in opening win over Pomona-Pitzer and added a hat trick against #13 Loyola Marymount; put in a goal apiece in wins over #8 Michigan and #3 UCLA.

Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Kahea Kahaulelio – Pomona-Pitzer

  • Scored four goals and added an assist as the Sagehens went 1-3 at the Triton Invitational; scored two goals against Long Beach State and tacked on assist; put in a goal apiece against #1 USC and Santa Clara.

Western Water Polo Association

Bennett Bugelli – UC San Diego

  • Racked up a total of 29 saves as the Tritons went 3-1, highlighted by a 13-save performance in a 9-6 victory over No. 16 Long Beach State to close tournament play; had eight saves in a thrilling one-point loss to #7 UC Santa Barbara, 4-3; tallied four saves each in wins over Cal State East Bay and #25 Marist.

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