Makenzie Fischer, Maddie Musselman help U.S. women’s water polo qualify for Olympics

Former Laguna Beach High standout Makenzie Fischer scored four goals as the U.S. women’s water polo team beat Italy 10-9 on Sunday in the FINA World League Super Final title match in Budapest, Hungary.

With the win, Team USA qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where it will be attempting to win its third straight gold medal.

Fischer, now at Stanford, was named the top player in the championship match. Corona del Mar High alumna Maddie Musselman, now at UCLA, scored twice in the final and earned the Super Final MVP award. Musselman scored the eventual game-winning goal against Italy, giving Team USA a 10-8 lead with two minutes remaining.

Laguna Beach High alumna Aria Fischer, who plays at Stanford, and CdM graduate Stephania Haralabidis, a graduate of USC, each scored once in the title match. The U.S. also had former Newport Harbor High standout Kaleigh Gilchrist and Edison product Alys Williams on its roster.

Team USA went 6-0 in the tournament, including an 8-6 semifinal win over the Netherlands.

The national team is next in action for a four-match exhibition series against Greece this summer, starting June 29 at Riverside City College. The series includes a match July 1 at Newport Harbor High.

::

Support our sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.

For more sports stories, visit latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/sports or follow us on Twitter @DailyPilotSport.