Courtesy: USC Athletics
IRVINE, CALIF. — The No. 1 USC women’s water polo team piled a season-high 15 Trojans on the scoresheet — led by a combined 10 goals from freshmen Emily Ausmus and Sofia Umeda — to beat Biola 30-5 in USC’s opener at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational. Now 12-0 overall, the Trojans are in action at UC Irvine’s Anteater Aquatics Complex through the weekend, looking for another tournament title to go along with their Triton Invitational crown earlier this season.
The Trojans gave up an early goal to Biola on a power play before pinning up 10 straight scores to take control. Tilly Kearns and Sinia Plotz both plugging in a pair of goals during that Trojan rally to build an 11-1 advantage. Emily Ausmus poured out three goal in the second period of play to keep things clicking for USC, while goalie Anna Reed put a stop to an Eagle 5-meter penalty attempt as USC climbed out ahead 17-2 by halftime. Ausmus got to six goals on the day with her work in the third, while fellow freshman Sofia Umeda’s push to match her own career high started with her two tallies in the third. Meghan McAninch punched in her second of the game in that frame, and USC was up 25-3 entering the final period of play. Umeda got her her career mark with two goals in the fourth, and three new USC scorers helped the Trojans to a season-high 15 scorers with Hannah Carver, Madison Haaland-Ford and Jelena Sarac’s goals to top off a 30-5 USC win in Irvine.
NEXT:
USC continues group play at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational tomorrow morning (Feb. 22) against No. 8 Long Beach State at 8 a.m. A win there puts USC in a 2:40 p.m. semifinal game tomorrow.
NOTABLE:
– 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 two goals today, Ausmus tied her career high and also has now registered multiple-goal efforts in all 12 USC games this season.
– With four goals today, FR Sofia Umeda tied her career high.
– USC has now posted two 30-goal games this season — last achieved in 2022.
– USC’s 15 different scorers in this game marked a new season high — previous best was 12.
2025 BARBARA KALBUS INVITATIONAL
GROUP PLAY
#1 USC 30, Biola 5
Friday, Feb. 21 | Anteater Aquatics Complex (Irvine, Calif.)
USC 10 – 7 – 8 – 5 = 30
BU 1 – 1 – 1 – 2 = 5
SCORING:
USC — Emily Ausmus 6, Sofia Umeda 4, Tilly Kearns 3, Emma Lawson 2, Isabel Zimmerman 2, Alma Yaacobi 2, Meghan McAninch 2, Sinia Plotz 2, Madison Haaland-Ford, Morgan Netherton, Ava Stryker, Ava Knepper, Rachel Gazzaniga, Jelena Sarac, Hannah Carver.
BU — Veralie Naranjo 3, Ava LoBue, Mia Mulhall.
SAVES: Jada Ward (USC) 4 [1st period], Anna Reed (USC) 4 [2nd & 3rd periods], Lauren Schneider (USC) 1 [4th period], Alicia Fregoso (BU) 4, Chloe McKay (BU) 0, Clara McKee (BU) 1.