{"id":642802,"date":"2026-04-27T13:13:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T20:13:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=642802"},"modified":"2026-04-27T14:49:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T21:49:34","slug":"anna-reed-backstops-usc-to-womens-water-polo-national-title-over-cal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/anna-reed-backstops-usc-to-womens-water-polo-national-title-over-cal\/","title":{"rendered":"Anna Reed Backstops USC to Women\u2019s Water Polo National Title over Cal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anna Reed Backstops USC to Women\u2019s Water Polo National Title over Cal<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ava Stryker<\/strong> and Emily Ausmus<\/strong> had two goals and an assist each, and Anna Reed<\/strong> made 14 saves as USC edged Cal, 10-9, in Sunday\u2019s NCAA Women\u2019s Water Polo national championship game.<\/p>\n

USC is the NCAA champion for the seventh time. It has been in the final eight times in the last 11 years. USC\u2019s victory ensures that all 25 championships since the start of NCAA sponsorship in 2001 have belonged to it, UCLA or Stanford. It denies Cal, which upset No. 1 seed Stanford in the semifinals on Saturday<\/a>, entry into the oligarchy of champions.<\/p>\n

This one was successful thanks to goals by Morgan Netherton<\/strong> and Stryker midway through the second quarter that put the Trojans up 6-3. They wouldn\u2019t tail the rest of the way at Canyonview Aquatic Center in La Jolla.<\/p>\n