Cal’s quest for its first-ever NCAA championship in women’s water polo fell just short Sunday in a 10-9 defeat to USC at the Canyonview Aquatic Center at La Jolla. The fourth-seeded Bears (16-8) battled back repeatedly to stay close, but never enjoyed a lead against the No. 3 seed Trojans (25-3). “Congrats to Cal, they’re incredible,” USC coach Casey Moon said during an ESPNU post-match interview. "They gave us a great fight.” The Bears had lost four of their previous five matches before the start of the NCAA tournament. But they topped Hawaii 15-10 in the quarterfinals on Friday, then stunned top-seeded Stanford 13-11 in the semifinals on Saturday. USC was going to be an uphill challenge, having beaten Cal all three previous meetings this season. The Trojans were motivated to win their first NCAA title since 2021. Cal’s Coralie Simmons, in her 10th season, was hoping to become the first female coach to win a title since the NCAA began contesting the women’s water polo championship tournament in 2001.…