Press Releases Courtesy: USC Athletics
LOS ANGELES — The No. 1 USC women’s water polo team kept up a steady scoring pace to keep visiting No. 8 Fresno State at bay en route to a 15-11 Trojans victory tonight at Uytengsu Aquatics Center. USC’s offensive output was spread among eight Trojans, with Tilly Kearns and Bayley Weber firing off four apiece to lead the charge. USC improves to 3-0 on the year with the win.
Four different Trojans struck in the first frame as USC rolled out to a 4-2 lead in the first eight minutes. Weber and Kearns would notch their second goals in the next stretch, while Mireia Guiral and Grace Tehaney also joined the scoresheet as USC led it 8-4 by halftime.
In the second half, the Trojans were clicking on both ends, shutting down the Bulldogs while netting some nice goals at the other end. Paige Hauschild delivered a picture-perfect pass to Sophia Lucas for a tip-in that had USC up 9-4, and she’d set up Weber for her third goal soon after. Weber would go on a solo mission later, nabbing a steal, drawing an exclusion and then finishing it off for her fourth to get USC ahead 11-4. Fresno State finally broke through with 17 seconds left, and it was 11-5 USC entering the fourth. The Bulldogs managed to get in a groove in the final stretch, netting six goals in that frame, but the Trojans remained in control. Kearns punched up two more to open things up, and Guiral notched her second after a 5-meter penalty shot converted by Téa Poljak, and USC emerged with the final 15-11 decision.
#1 USC 15, #8 Fresno State 11
Feb. 4, 2022 | Uytengsu Aquatics Center (Los Angeles, Calif.)
USC 4 – 4 – 3 – 4 = 15
FST 2 – 2 – 1 – 6 = 11
SCORING:
USC — Tilly Kearns 4, Bayley Weber 4, Mireia Guiral 2, Paige Hauschild, Claire Haas, Grace Tehaney, Sophia Lucas, Téa Poljak.
FST — Fanni Muzsnay 5, Emily Nicholson 3, Brooke Ochoa, Daphne Guevremont, Emily Diacono.
SAVES: Carolyne Stern (USC) 7, Paula Nieto Jasny 5.
Press Release Courtesy: Fresno State Athletics
