WATER POLO: Defense dominant again for U.S. at Junior World Championships

Harvard-Westlake of Studio City junior Ashley Grossman, Monte Vista of Danville junior Maggie Steffens and Stanford signee Annika Dries all had three goals for the U.S. women's junior national water polo team, which turned in another dominant defensive effort Wednesday in a 16-4 playoff victory over South Africa at the eighth FINA Junior World Championships in Khanty-Mansisyk, Russia.

Alemany of Mission Hills graduate Erin Manke helped the Americans shut out the South Africans in the first half, building a 5-0 lead. The U.S. increased the advantage to 8-0 before Tarryn Schooling finally broke the drought with 4:09 remaining in the third quarter.

Including Tuesday's 10-4 victory over the Netherlands -- when the Americans shut out the Dutch in the second half -- the U.S. held its opponents scoreless for a stretch of more than 40 minutes, or five consecutive quarters. After Dos Pueblos of Goleta senior Sami Hill shined in goal against the Netherlands it was Stanford-bound Kate Baldoni who played the whole match in net against South Africa.

Dos Pueblos junior Kiley Neushel scored twice and UCLA-bound Brooke Martin, USC signee Dominique Sardo, Monte Vista senior Kelly Mendoza and Palos Verdes senior Colleen O'Donnell -- a teammate of Grossman and Manke at L.A. Water Polo Club -- each had a goal for the Americans, who take on Australia in Thursday's quarterfinals.

In other quarterfinal matches Thursday: Canada faces the Netherlands; Hungary takes on Span and Russia meets Italy.

The U.S. and Australia are matched up in the semifinals Friday with the Canada/Netherlands winner.