Stanford

Next Match:

at Stanford

4/4/2026 | 1 p.m.


Apr. 04 (Sat) / 1 p.m.


at Stanford

LOS ANGELES — The No. 4 California women’s water polo team went toe-to-toe with top-ranked USC in MPSF action today before the host Trojans got out ahead before halftime and held off the Golden Bears for a 14-10 decision. The road loss puts Cal at 13-4 overall and 3-2 in MPSF play.

Cal was right in stride with USC for the first 12 minutes, consistently finding a response to each Trojan goal in an offensive onslaught for that opening stretch. After a Despoina Drakotou takeaway, Talia Fonseca found Maria Bogachenko on the counterattack, and she hit Rosalie Hassett for a strike that knotted the game up for the sixth time. With 12 goals scored in 12 minutes, the score was even at 6-6. That’s when the Trojans shifted gears, knocking in three straight scores to go up 9-6 before Hassett hit her second of the day to make it a 9-7 margin just before halftime. 

USC crept ahead 11-7 with a couple early goals in the third before Julia Bonaguidi tallied her third goal for Cal to make it 11-8 with 3:11 on the clock. USC hit from distance next, and then Hassett set up Eszter Varró  for a blast at the post for the Bears to get Cal back within three. USC finished off a 6-on-5 soon after, though, and it was a 13-9 scoreline entering the fourth frame. There, Cal got another Varro blast off a feed from Hassett in the final minute, but the Bears could move no closer in the remaining time and took a 14-10 loss to the No. 1 Trojans.

#1 USC 14, #4 Cal 10

March 28, 2026 | Uytengsu Aquatics Center (Los Angeles, Calif.)

CAL   5 – 2 – 2 – 1 = 10

USC  5 – 4 – 4 – 1 = 14

SCORING:

CAL — Eszter Varró 4, Rosalie Hassett 2, Julia Bonaguidi 2, Abbi Magee, Maria Bogachenko.

USC — Emily Ausmus 3, Rachel Gazzaniga 3, Alma Yaacobi 2, Ava Knepper 2, Meghan McAninch 2, Sinia Plotz, Morgan Netherton.

SAVES: Talia Fonseca (CAL) 10, Anna Reed (USC) 9.

NEXT: Cal turns to cap off regular-season play next week with a visit to Stanford for a 1 p.m. meeting on Saturday (April 4) at Avery Aquatic Center.

NOTABLE:

– With three goals today, Julia Bonaguidi has scored multiple goals in Cal’s last six games.

– With one goal today, Abbi Magee has now scored in 15 of Cal’s 16 games this season — a team high.

– With 10 saves, Talia Fonseca recorded her second double-digit saves outing of the season and the eighth of her career.

– Eszter Varró scored a season-high four goals.

STAY POSTED

For more coverage of Cal women’s water polo, follow the Bears on X (@calwwpolo), Instagram (@calwwpolo) and Facebook (@calwwpolo).

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