HIGHLIGHTS: Cardinal Outlast USC to Earn Title Berth vs. UCLA

The Big Four resumed their dominance of NCAA women’s water polo on Saturday at the NCAA Championship in Indianapolis. Stanford and UCLA emerged as winners of their semi-final matchups against USC and Cal. The top-seeded Bruins will meet the Cardinal in the championship match on Sunday, their third meeting this season with both prior games going UCLA’s way.

The No. 1 Bruins turned aside Cal 14-11 in a rematch of their MPSF conference semi-final tussle, which the Bears lost, 9-8. On Saturday Cal kept the score even in the second half, which was not enough to overcome the three-goal deficit they faced after two quarters. Freshman phenom Maddie Musselman led the Bruins with four goals.

HIGHLIGHTS: Cardinal Outlast USC to Earn Title Berth vs. UCLA

Junior Jordan Raney tallied two crucial fourth-quarter goals in Stanford’s 11-10 win over the defending champions from USC. The Cardinal trailed by one at the end of three quarters after the Trojans scored three times to break the 6-6 halftime tie. Stanford clamped down defensively in the final stanza holding USC to a single tally while Raney and Maggie Steffens combined for three goals to give the Cardinal the victory.

HIGHLIGHTS: Cardinal Outlast USC to Earn Title Berth vs. UCLA

A victory today would hand UCLA its eighth NCAA title, the most of any program since the varsity tournament began in 2001. Stanford has lifted the championship trophy five times.