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Sinia Plotz, Anna Reed Help USC Women Hold Off Cal 10-9 for Trojans’ 7th Water Polo Championship
Sinia Plotz and Anna Reed led USC with timely goals and 10 saves as the Trojans held off Cal for their seventh national title.
On Sunday, Southern California defeated California 10-9 at the Canyonview Aquatic Center in La Jolla, Calif., with Sinia Plotz scoring to open each half and goalkeeper Anna Reed recording 10 saves.
Head coach Casey Moon led the Trojans to victory in his second season, while the fourth-seeded Golden Bears, coached by Coralie Simmons in her 10th season, reached the final after defeating top-ranked Stanford 13-11 on Saturday.
Goalkeeper Reed anchored the defense with 10 saves while Plotz scored to open both halves. Julianne Snyder cut the deficit with 48.7 seconds remaining, but Cal's final tying shot hit the crossbar.
The victory marks the Trojans' seventh national title, their first since 2021, capping a tournament where USC maintained narrow leads throughout; the Bears made it the closest championship match since Stanford edged USC 9-8 in 2019.
Cal remains pursuing its first national championship after reaching the 2024 final, where UCLA defeated the Bears 7-4. Stanford won the 2011 title 9-5 over Cal, establishing the program's championship history.