The last few years have been rough for USC water polo.

Rival schools may not see it that way; since 2022, the men’s and women’s squads have combined for a 177-45 record, making six national championship appearances along the way. And yet, the tragedy lies in those very accomplishments: The Trojans are 0-6 in said championship games, coming up short every time.

The curse continued in December, as the men’s team fell to crosstown rival UCLA in heartbreaking fashion for its fifth title game loss in the last six years. Thus, the onus rests on the No. 2 Trojan women (2-0), who begin their pursuit to deliver USC its first water polo championship since 2021.

Doing so will be easier said than done, if the past is any indication; however, with several powerhouse players returning and newcomers ready to make an immediate impact, the time is as right as ever for Head Coach Casey Moon and company to finally get the job done.

All-Americans abound in Trojans’ line-up

The Trojans’ roster took a major blow with the graduation of center Tilly Kearns, a three-time All-American who scored 100 goals last season. Kearns was a veteran presence on an otherwise younger team, having played with the Australian National Team in two Olympic Games, and ranked third on USC’s all-time scoring list.

However, the Trojans are returning many of their key components from last year’s squad — most notably, sophomore attacker Emily Ausmus, who looks to improve upon an incredible debut that ranks among the best seasons the program has ever seen.

As a freshman, Ausmus scored 114 goals — the most in a season in USC history — to go along with 55 assists and 46 steals in 34 games. Ausmus was named to the All-America First Team, along with Kearns, and earned Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Newcomer of the Year honors.

Ausmus will serve as co-captain of the team with senior attacker Maggie Johnson, who will play in her fourth and final season with the Trojans. Johnson led the roster with 58 assists in 2025, while adding 23 goals on just 41 shots.

USC also returns with junior attacker Ava Stryker and junior center Rachel Gazzaniga, both of whom were named All-Americans in each of their first two seasons. Stryker picked up 72 goals and 48 assists last season, both the third-highest on the team, while Gazzaniga notched 46 goals and 21 assists.

On the goalkeeping end, redshirt sophomore Anna Reed and senior Jada Ward will likely continue to compete for playing time after serving as the Trojans’ two primary goalies in 2025. Ward’s 128 saves brought her to 193 in her career, good for 10th on USC’s all-time leaderboard, and Reed was close behind with 91 saves despite playing in five fewer games. The two continued to split time even into the postseason, so there isn’t a clear frontrunner.

In addition to Moon’s many returners, the roster includes six new freshmen. Utility Natalia Blazevic is a standout, having competed for Canada in the 2025 Junior World Championships; she scored the first goal of her collegiate career in the Trojans’ opening matchup with Azusa Pacific University (2-2).

USC has also seen immediate results from freshman attacker Ashley Kwan, who notched three goals and four assists across the first two games against Azusa Pacific and No. 18 UC Santa Barbara (0-2).

Familiar foes await in MPSF play

The Trojans’ season got off to a hot start Jan. 16, as they travelled to Riverside for a doubleheader against Azusa Pacific and UC Santa Barbara. While the bout with Azusa Pacific had a rockier start than expected — USC trailed 4-2 after the first quarter — the Trojans ended the game on a 15-4 run to secure a 17-8 victory, and soon followed it up with a 17-5 win over the Gauchos.

Those two wins represent a great source of momentum for the Trojans, but their schedule only gets more challenging from here. USC’s six MPSF rivals are all ranked in the top 12, headlined by the usual suspects of No. 1 Stanford (1-0), No. 3 UCLA and No. 4 UC Berkeley (3-0).

Moon’s squad will face off against several of those teams in a two-week stretch from March 22 to April 4, giving the Trojans a clearer idea of the competition that awaits them come the MPSF and NCAA Tournaments later in April.

Before then, however, USC will need to get through several other formidable opponents, including road trips to No. 5 University of Hawai’i (2-1) and No. 6 Long Beach State University (4-0). The Trojans will also travel to three invitationals — the Triton Invitational and Barbara Kalbus Invitational in February, as well as the Convergence Tournament in March — which have historically provided a glimpse at the intense conference battles to follow.

In three of the last four seasons, USC has fallen to Stanford in the national title game, forcing them to return home empty-handed time and time again despite having beaten the Cardinal in regular-season play. A new year represents new opportunities, and the Trojans have the tools to seize that opportunity — if they can overcome the gauntlet of opposing squads that awaits them.

For now, USC will return to the water at Uytengsu Aquatics Center for a Friday night doubleheader. The Trojans will get a rematch with UC Santa Barbara at 5:45 p.m., followed by a battle with Biola University (0-4) at 7 p.m.