Dhalluin scores 3 goals, Stanford beats USC 11-7 to win NCAA women’s water polo title

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Juliette Dhalluin score three goals on Sunday and the Stanford defense allowed just one second-half goal to help the Cardinal beat Southern California 11-7 to claim its 10th NCAA women’s water polo championship and third in the last four seasons.

No. 1 Stanford (25-1) finished the season on a 10-game win streak, dating to a 12-11 loss to the Trojans on March 29. The Cardinal beat USC 11-7 on April 27 in the semifinals of the MPSF Championship.

Dhalluin scored with a second left in the first half to make it 6-6 and again with 6:47 left in the third — the only goal of the quarter — gave Stanford the lead for good.

Serena Browne added a goal with 6:04 to play and another with 3:06 remaining to make it 9-6.

Ryann Neushul scored a goal to give her and has 228 — fifth most in program history — in her seven-year career (after winning the 2019 national championship, Neushul stepped away from the Cardinal for two years to train with the U.S. national team) and is the first four-time NCAA team champion in Stanford history.

Christine Carpenter had nine saves for the Cardinal.

Meghan McAninch led USC (29-5) with two goals and Anna Reed finished with 11 saves.

The Cardinal are the all-time leaders in NCAA team championship with 137 and have won at least one team title in each of the past 49 seasons.