WATER POLO: Grossman contributes to U.S. rout of Brazil at Junior World Championships

A day after a disappointing loss to host Russia, the U.S. women's junior national water polo team rebounded with a strong performance Monday in a Group D match against Brazil at the eighth FINA Junior World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk.

Harvard-Westlake of Studio City junior Ashley Grossman and Monte Vista of Danville junior Maggie Steffens led the Americans with three goals each and Alemany of Mission Hills graduate Erin Manke contributed to a defensive effort that shut out the Brazilians in the first and fourth quarters in a 15-3 victory.

Stanford-bound Annika Dries, USC signee Dominique Sardo, UCLA-bound Brooke Martin and Palos Verdes senior Colleen O'Donnell -- a teammate of Grossman and the Loyola Marymount-bound Manke at L.A. Water Polo Club -- all scored twice for the U.S., which led 6-2 at halftime and 11-3 entering the fourth quarter.

Kate Baldoni, a Stanford signee, played the entire match in goal for the Americans.

The U.S. will have its work cut out in the final Group D match today against the Netherlands, which lost to Russia 10-9 and defeated Brazil 18-2. Depending on the result, the Americans will face either New Zealand or South Africa on Wednesday for the right to advance to Thursday's championship quarterfinals.

In other matches Monday: Spain defeated Kazakhstan 17-9; Australia held off Italy 8-7; Hungary handled South Africa 24-2; New Zealand routed Uzbekistan 33-4 and Greece beat Germany 12-3.