THIS WEEK
No. 1 USC, fresh off a third consecutive victorious run to the MPSF Tournament title, has secured its 17th consecutive NCAA tournament berth in earning the No. 1 seed into this 2021 tournament. The Trojans will take a 19-1 record into the 2021 National Collegiate Women s Water Polo Championship, hosted this year by UCLA at the Spieker Aquatics Center from May 14-16. USC will be looking for its seventh national championship, having won its last title in 2018. The Trojans (19-1) will open the 2021 NCAA Tournament at 12 p.m. on May 14, playing the winner of Wednesday s Opening Round game between Marist (8-0) and Salem (18-11). In the other Opening Round game on May 12, Fresno State (12-5) will face Cal Lutheran (5-0) for the right to play No. 2 seed Stanford (12-5) on May 14. The other May 14 quarterfinal matchups are set: No. 4 seed Arizona State (13-11) takes on Michigan (21-4), while No. 3 seed UCLA (13-4) faces Hawai i (11-1). Winners advance to May 15 semifinal
THIS WEEK
No. 1 USC gears up for a four-game run in Tempe, Ariz., this week, as the Trojans engage in action at the ASU Invitational from Feb. 26-28 at Mona Plummer Aquatic Center. USC (1-0) opens up against host Arizona State (5-0) for a 9 a.m. MT matchup on Friday (Feb. 26). On Saturday (Feb. 27), USC takes on the Sun Devils again at 9:30 a.m. MT and then turns to face Michigan (4-0) at 2 p.m. MT. USC s competition at the event wraps up on Sunday (Feb. 28) with another battle against the Wolverines at 9 a.m. MT.
RANKINGS
USC started this 2021 campaign in the same spot it wrapped up the shortened 2020 season at No. 1 in the nation. The Trojans have remained in that top spot since those Feb. 7 preseason rankings, staying at No. 1 in this latest set of national rankings (released Feb. 24).