UCLA owns a record seven national titles but has not won since 2009. The Bruins were runner-ups to Stanford in 2014 and 2015.

The Cardinal has won five NCAA Championships (2002, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015) and four of the last six.

The Bruins beat Cal 14-11 in the tournament's earlier semifinal and has two wins over Stanford during the season.

Stanford (22-3), which has appeared in every championship match since 2010, will playtop-ranked UCLA (24-1) for the national title on Sunday at noon.

Maggie Steffens scored four times, the defense stiffened in the final quarter and the second-ranked Stanford women's water polo team beat No. 3 USC 11-10 in the semifinals of the NCAA championships in Indianapolis on Saturday.

Brianna Daboub scored in the 6-on-5 with 1:47 left in the third to put USC up one, 9-8, heading into the final period.

On the Cardinal's next possession, Kat Klass' lob over Amanda Longan to the far post found the back of the cage and tie the score 8-8.

With 4:46 to go in the third, Shannon Cleary found Madison Berggren with a cross pass, which the lefty whipped in for Stanford's first tally of the second half.

The Trojans scored on a pair of power plays to open the third and go up two, 8-6.

USC's Maud Megens converted a penalty near the end of the second quarter to tie the game at 6-all at the half.

The back-and-forth first half in which Stanford never trailed with kicked off with a Steffens hat trick in the game's first four minutes.

Raney and Shannon Cleary keyed Stanford's strong defensive effort on the Trojans' two-meter powerhouse Brigitta Games. USC's second-leading scorer was held without a goal for just the fifth time in 33 games this season.

Stone would save potential game-tying attempts from Haralabidis and Megens over the final three minutes and Stanford wrapped up the win by forcing a shot clock violation after a USC timeout with just 31 ticks remaining.

Jordan Raney scored twice in the final frame for the Cardinal. She took a pass from Steffens on the power play and rifled it to the far post at 5:01 to tie things 9-9. Haralabidis scored next before Steffens put home her fourth with 4:20 to go and then set up Raney for another 6-on-5 goal with 3:46 left.

Stanford's defense, which was superb all game, rose to another level in the fourth. Gabby Stone made three of her five saves in the last eight minutes and USC managed just one score, a quick strike from Stephania Haralabidis on a restart with 4:34 on the clock.

Stanford has won 112 NCAA team championships, a total which is second to UCLA's 113. Cardinal programs last won four NCAA championships in 2001-02. Stanford has won at least one NCAA team title for 41 consecutive academic years, an ongoing record.

Stanford extended its own NCAA record by booking its eighth straight trip to the women's water polo championship and will be looking to win the department's fourth NCAA title of the year (men's soccer, women's volleyball, women's swimming and diving).

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Stanford sends Trojans packing, await the Bruins