After cruising to victory in each of its first five games of the season, outscoring opponents by more than 12 goals on average, No. 2 USC women’s water polo needed a challenge.

The Trojans (8-1) certainly got that challenge at the annual Triton Invitational over the weekend, facing three top-12 teams across four games. While USC powered through its first three matchups to advance to the tournament final, Head Coach Casey Moon’s squad fell short against crosstown rival No. 3 UCLA (6-0), ending its undefeated start to the season.

Though they weren’t able to replicate their victory from last year’s invitational, the Trojans got their first taste of the fierce competition that awaits them in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation — a necessity as they look to finally make it over the hump and bring a national championship back to USC for the first time since 2021.

Trojans come up short in championship match

Moon and company kicked off their weekend Friday morning against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (3-5), dominating the Athenas in a 23-4 blowout. Their first true test came the following day in the form of No. 12 UC San Diego (5-4). The two teams hadn’t faced off since 2020, and with the Tritons holding home-pool advantage as the invite’s hosts, the Trojans appeared to be treading uncharted waters.

Nevertheless, USC scored eight of the game’s first 10 goals and never looked back, securing a 19-12 win to advance to the semifinal. Sophomore attacker Emily Ausmus tied her career high with six goals on just seven shots. Nine other Trojans also got on the board as UC San Diego switched between three different goalies, failing to find a consistent rhythm in front of the net.

Saturday’s afternoon affair with No. 7 Long Beach State University (7-4) proved to be no more difficult: USC built a 15-7 lead before letting up on defense in the final minutes, allowing the Beach to draw closer at 15-11 — a final score much closer than the game itself would suggest. Ausmus notched her fourth hat trick in five games, while redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Anna Reed recorded double-digit saves for the second time that day.

The Trojans’ semifinal victory set up a clash of undefeated teams with the Bruins, who breezed through No. 6 Arizona State (8-1) and No. 5 Hawai’i (5-2). Unlike their male counterparts, who fell to UCLA in December’s NCAA championship for the second straight year, the USC women have fared well against their rivals recently, taking two of their three matchups in 2025.

However, the inaugural matchup of 2026 told the opposite story: The Trojans mustered just one goal in the first half, quickly falling to a 6-1 deficit, and couldn’t close the gap despite a three-goal outburst from junior attacker Ava Stryker in the second half. Moon’s squad left Sunday’s championship match with a 12-9 defeat, dashing any hopes — however faint — of an undefeated season.

Roles solidify as veterans, newcomers shine

Though USC didn’t quite make it to the finish line, it nonetheless emerged from San Diego with three wins and an abundance of powerful performances from its stars.

Ausmus has shown no signs of slowing down after a historic freshman campaign in 2025: Across three games over the weekend, the former All-American totalled 11 goals on 18 shots, tacking on an assist in each game along with two steals against Long Beach State.

Despite her scoring prowess, however, Ausmus has yet to claim the No. 1 spot on the Trojans’ goals leaderboard this season; that title belongs to junior attacker Meghan McAninch, who matched a career-best five goals against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and added seven assists throughout the invitational. McAninch has taken on a greater workload in USC’s contests thus far, leading the team with 41 shots — no other Trojan has taken more than 28.

Moon has also seen early standout performances from several of his freshmen, including attacker Ashley Kwan and utility Natalia Blazevic, who are tied for fifth in goals this season with 12. Both scored two goals apiece in two of USC’s first three weekend matchups, but saw limited shots against the Bruins, as Moon opted to rely on his veterans against the top-tier competition.

Heading into the season, there wasn’t a clear answer as to who the Trojans’ primary goalkeeper would be. Reed and senior Jada Ward shared starting duties throughout the 2025 season, with both continuing to see playing time into the postseason.

After nine games, though, USC seems to have the answer: Reed. The redshirt sophomore has played in every game so far this season, averaging just over eight goals allowed and a 51.5% save percentage. Over the weekend, Reed spent all 128 minutes in front of the net, combining for 38 saves while giving up 39 goals.

While the Triton Invitational provided an early stage for the Trojans’ talents, it also served as a test run for the grind of a multi-day tournament — something USC will see plenty of this season. The Trojans will compete in two more regular-season invitationals — the Barbara Kalbus Invitational in February and the Convergence Tournament in March — before heading to the MPSF and NCAA Tournaments in April.

Before then, however, USC will look to repeat its victory against Long Beach State in a rematch on the road. The Trojans will travel to Long Beach on Saturday for a bout with the Beach at noon.