Courtesy: USC Athletics
LOS ANGELES — The No. 1 USC women’s water polo team displayed its depth in a 24-7 home-opening win over Biola, with 12 Trojans tallying goals and all four goalies checking in as USC went big at Uytengsu Aquatics Center. Emily Ausmus had the high-water mark on the night with her career-high six goals, while Rachel Stryker and Ava Stryker scored hat tricks for the Trojan cause. USC is now 9-0 overall on the year.
USC peeled out to a 6-0 lead with Tilly Kearns scoring twice and Ausmus hitting a hat trick in that early opening rally. The first period was topped off by a fake and fire from Alma Yaacobi to take USC ahead 9-2 after eight minutes of action. The Trojans pinned up seven more goals from seven different scorers — including Jelena Sarac’s first goal of the year — in the second to go up 16-5 at halftime. USC kept chugging away in the second half, with Sarac notching another for her first multiple-goal effort as a Trojan. Sally McCarthy stepped up for a 5-meter penalty score — earned by Sofia Umeda — to tally the senior’s first goal of 2025 and take the Trojans ahead 20-6 at the close of the third. More firsts were achieved in the fourth, where sophomore Madison Haaland-Ford, who had been putting in work at set all game, punched up her first career goal to kick off the final frame. By the final buzzer, Lauren Schneider had stuffed a Biola 5-meter shot and Ausmus had hit her career mark with six goals on the night, and USC had a 24-7 victory in the books.
NEXT:
USC stays home for another tilt at Uytengsu Aquatics Center next, hosting No. 6 UC Irvine tomorrow (Feb. 7) at 1 p.m.
NOTABLE:
– SO Madison Haaland-Ford scored her first career goal today.
– RS SO Jelena Sarac recorded her first career multiple-goal game with two goals.
– SR Sally McCarthy scored her first goal of the season.
– With six goals today, FR Emily Ausmus tied her career high.
– With their goals today, SO Rachel Gazzaniga, SO Ava Stryker, SR Tilly Kearns and FR Emily Ausmus have all scored in every game for USC this season.
– With six goals today, Ausmus also has now registered multiple-goal efforts in all nine USC games this season.
#1 USC 24, Biola 7
Friday, Feb. 8 | Uytengsu Aquatics Center
USC 9 – 7 – 4 – 4 = 24
BU 2 – 3 – 1 – 1 = 7
SCORING:
USC — Emily Ausmus 6, Rachel Gazzaniga 3, Ava Stryker 3, Alma Yaacobi 2, Tilly Kearns 2, Jelena Sarac 2, Emma Lawson, Morgan Netherton, Sinia Plotz, Hannah Carver, Sally McCarthy, Madison Haaland-Ford.
BIOLA — Veralie Naranjo 2, Christina Cervantes, Stephanie Rodriguez, Lizzy Birch, Marisa Brock, Savannah Rapp.
SAVES: Jada Ward (USC) 3 [1st period], Anna Reed (USC) 0 [2nd period], Laine Hourigan (USC) 0 [3rd period], Lauren Schneider (USC) 1 [4th period], Alicia Fregoso (BU) 4 [1st half], Chloe McKay (BU) 4 [2nd half].
