The top-ranked Stanford men's water polo team worked hard to get into a position of strength for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament, which the Cardinal hosts, earning the No. 1 seed and setting itself up for a chance at the title.

USC cannon-balled Stanford's effort, surprising Stanford, 10-5, in a first-round game Friday. The Trojans improved to 3-0 against Stanford this year.

The Cardinal, which saw a 12-match winning streak end, settles for an appearance in the third-place game against California at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Stanford (19-4) came back to beat Penn State Behrend, 15-0, later Friday.

Friday's contest played out much different from the first two meetings. USC won 8-6 on Sept. 8 and 11-10 on Sept. 23, with both of those matches being played in Los Angeles.