Team Usa

Corona del Mar High alumna Tumua Anae and Newport Beach residents Kelly Rulon and Danielle Warde contributed as the USA Water Polo women's senior national team won bronze at the 2013 FINA World League Super Final last week in Beijing, China. Team USA defeated Hungary, 10-9, in the bronze-medal game. Rulon scored one goal in the contest. Anae made 10 saves for the U.S. in the semifinal match, a 9-7 loss to China. It was the Americans' second loss to China in the tournament. The third-place finish marked the first time since 2008 that the U.S. women did not win the title at the FINA World League Super Final.

Goalkeeper Tumua Anae, a former Corona del Mar High standout, and attacker Kelly Rulon, a Newport Beach resident, are on the U.S. women's senior national team roster for the 2013 FINA World Championships that begin Sunday in Barcelona Spain. Anae and Rulon were among 13 athletes selected and two of eight returners from the team that won gold at the 2012 Olympics. Recently, Team USA took home bronze from the FINA World League Super Final and then followed that with a second-place finish at the Dutch Trophy last week.

Four Newport Beach girls' water polo players all contributed as the United States Women's Youth National Team defeated Canada, 9-7, on Tuesday at the UANA Youth Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Incoming Corona del Mar High sophomore Maddie Musselman and incoming Newport Harbor High junior Rachel Whitelegge each scored in the second half, with Musselman's goal being the eventual game-winner. Newport Beach resident Brianna Daboub, who will be a senior at Mater Dei, also scored on a penalty shot, and incoming Newport Harbor junior goalie Carlee Kapana made 14 saves.

Steve Virgen UC Irvine men's water polo will be well represented in the 2004 Olympics, as former Anteater standouts Ryan Bailey, Jeff Powers, Omar Amr, Dan Klatt and Genai Kerr are part of the 13-player U.S. team roster that was announced Wednesday at the Charter All-Digital Aquatic Centre in Long Beach. "I think it's really great," said Ted Newland, 76, UCI's legendary coach who is entering his 39th season. "This is the most guys I have ever had on the U.S. Olympic team all time.

Former UC Irvine standout Jeff Powers scored one goal to help the United States men's water polo team defeat Italy, 9-8, in the seventh-place game of the Olympic Games Sunday in Athens, Greece. Powers was joined on Team USA by former Anteaters Ryan Bailey, Omar Amr, Dan Klatt and Genai Kerr. Amr had two shots and an assist against Italy, while Bailey had one shot. Tony Azevedo, who finished second among all scorers in the tournament with eight goals in seven games, had three goals for the Americans Sunday.

Though tonight marks the beginning of a three-night homecoming engagement for former UC Irvine All-Americans Jayson Jablonsky and David Smith, the playing time granted the U.S. men’s volleyball national team newcomers will have more to do with pushing buttons than tugging heart strings. “There is no plan to make it a homecoming event for those guys,” Team USA Coach Alan Knipe said of the four-team qualifying tournament for the 2010 World Championships that features two matches each of the next three evenings at the Bren Events Center.

LOS ALAMITOS - The United States men's national water polo team swept a two-game series with Canada, defeating the Canadians, 10-8, Thursday at the Los Alamitos Reserve Training Center. Second-quarter goals by Ryan Bailey and Wolf Wingo broke a 4-4 tie, putting United States ahead for good. Tony Azevedo led the Americans with four goals, while Bailey added three. The Canadians cut USA's lead down to one on four different occasions, but the Americans held on for the win. Dan Hackett had four saves for the United States, while Canada's Robin Randall matched him with four saves.

There is no Olympic trinket, no tiny flag emblazoned with those trademark five rings, no poster with a motivational phrase in big letters to remind Kevin Hansen of his dream. For the former Corona del Mar High two-sport standout, now competing for one of 12 spots on the U.S. men’s national volleyball team, the alarm clock is enough to remind him that his four-year Olympic quest has been a daily grind. That journey began in 2005, after a stellar career at Stanford, where he was a two-time All-American.

Former UC Irvine All-American Jimmy Pelzel tied for the team high with eight kills to help the United States men's volleyball team roll to a 25-12, 25-14, 25-13 victory over Lebanon to open pool play at the World University Games Thursday in Izmir, Turkey. The U.S., which also includes Corona del Mar High product Kevin Hansen, who started the third game, dispatched Lebanon in 62 minutes. Team USA faces France in pool-play action today. Belgium, China and Slovakia are also in the pool.

COSTA MESA - P.J. Errington and a Team USA miscue allowed the Tasmanian Devils to pull out a 2-1 win in AYSO Region 120 Under-12 boys soccer action. Errington's goal gave the Devils a 1-0 lead before scoring again when the ball trickled into the net a few minutes later. Kyle Worel scored on an assist from Andrew West for Team USA in the third quarter. Defensively for Team USA, Jonathan Howse and Cody Waldron led the way. In other Region 120 Under-10 boys action: Alleygators 1, Blastoids in Blue 0 - Scott Styles scored the game's only goal for the Alleygators as the defense for both teams dominated the game.

To say that Luca Cupido provided memorable moments this year for the Newport Harbor High boys' water polo team would be a bit of an understatement. Cupido, a senior transfer from Italy, always seemed to be turning heads on the Sailors' pool deck. Two plays specifically come to mind. There was the penalty shot lob of Mater Dei's 6-foot-8 senior goalkeeper McQuin Baron in the final of the South Coast Tournament. And there was the backhand shot from mid-tank that went in at the buzzer, accentuating the Sailors' 13-7 win over Huntington Beach in a battle for first place in the Sunset League.

SANTA ANA - Kaleigh Gilchrist is about seven months removed from winning the top prize in college women's water polo. Last May, the Newport Harbor High alumna helped USC win the NCAA Division 1 title. But now, Gilchrist is playing at an even higher level. Last weekend she played in her first tournament with the U.S. senior women's national team, and Team USA won gold at the Canada Cup. This week Gilchrist, a senior at USC, is continuing play with the senior national team at the Holiday Cup at Foothill High.

The United States women's water polo senior national team won gold over the weekend at the Canada Cup tournament in Gatineau, Canada. The team, which featured Newport Harbor High alumna Kaleigh Gilchrist, UC Irvine redshirt junior Danielle Warde and Corona del Mar High sophomore Maddie Musselman, earned a 12-10 shootout victory over Australia in the title game Sunday. Gilchrist scored twice in the title game for Team USA, which rallied from an 8-4 deficit late in the third quarter.

The United States women's senior national water polo team, featuring Newport Harbor High alumna Kaleigh Gilchrist, Corona del Mar sophomore Maddie Musselman and UC Irvine redshirt junior Danielle Warde, is 1-2 after its first three matches at the Canada Cup in Gatineau, Canada. Team USA fell to Australia, 10-8, in its most recent game Thursday. Gilchrist, a senior at USC, scored three goals in the loss. Musselman drew a penalty shot, had a field block and a steal. Earlier in the tournament, Musselman had her first career senior national team goal in another loss to Australia.

The key chain isn't really gaudy. It simply says "Team USA," but Corona del Mar High junior Hayley Hodson smiles when it's brought up. Those two words encompass many of Hodson's hopes and dreams. They are most likely part of her past, present and future. In this way, the key chain is more than just an inanimate object for Hodson, who is one of the best high school outside hitters in the country. "I think I got it at the Olympic training center," she said. "I think I also have a 'London 2012' one sitting around at home.

Four Newport Beach girls' water polo players went to Argentina this week to compete in the UANA Youth Pan American Championships. In terms of experience, the "youth" part certainly rang true. For three of them, it was their first international water polo tournament, first time representing their country on the world stage. Yet Mater Dei High incoming senior Brianna Daboub, Corona del Mar incoming sophomore Maddie Musselman and Newport Harbor incoming juniors Rachel Whitelegge and Carlee Kapana all rose to the challenge in the end. As a result, they got an experience on Saturday that they'll never forget.

The United States Women's Youth National water polo team, featuring four Newport Beach players, will play for gold at the UANA Youth Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Team USA breezed past Puerto Rico, 22-4, in a tournament semifinal Friday. Mater Dei incoming senior Brianna Daboub scored twice, and CdM incoming sophomore Maddie Musselman and Newport Harbor incoming junior Rachel Whitelegge scored one goal each. Carlee Kapana, another Sailors incoming junior, split time in goal and made five saves, helping Team USA improve to 6-0 in the tournament.

Corona del Mar High incoming sophomore Maddie Musselman and Newport Harbor incoming junior Rachel Whitelegge each scored twice Wednesday, helping the United States Women's Youth National water polo team defeat Brazil, 11-6, at the UANA Youth Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Carlee Kapana, another incoming junior at Harbor, went the distance in goal for Team USA. The United States team improved to 4-0 at the tournament. The squad also features Newport Beach resident Brianna Daboub, who is an incoming senior at Mater Dei. Musselman, who is the second-youngest player on the team, has tallied nine goals in the tournament.

Four Newport Beach girls' water polo players all contributed as the United States Women's Youth National Team defeated Canada, 9-7, on Tuesday at the UANA Youth Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Incoming Corona del Mar High sophomore Maddie Musselman and incoming Newport Harbor High junior Rachel Whitelegge each scored in the second half, with Musselman's goal being the eventual game-winner. Newport Beach resident Brianna Daboub, who will be a senior at Mater Dei, also scored on a penalty shot, and incoming Newport Harbor junior goalie Carlee Kapana made 14 saves.

Former UC Irvine All-American Dan McDonnell had a match-high three aces to help the United States men's volleyball team earn a 25-14, 25-10, 25-20 victory over Trinidad and Tobego in the second round of pool play late Tuesday at the Pan American Cup in Mexico City. McDonnell's serving helped the Americans post a 10-2 advantage in aces. McDonnell, a member of the Anteaterrs' 2012 NCAA championship team, started at middle blocker for Team USA. Other starters included Michael Brinkley, who will be a junior libero at UCI in the fall, and setter Ryan Ammerman, a member of the 2009 NCAA champion Anteaters.